Search Continues to Train, Hire Lifeguards at Park Point Beach

DULUTH, Minn. – It may be a while before people make their way to Park Point Beach to take a dip in Lake Superior, but as of now there will be no lifeguards there this summer.

The YMCA says they are working to get people hired, but a shortage in lifeguards across their branches has them scrambling to find and train them.

“Right now I have no applicants for the summer,” says Cheryl Podtburg, Risk and Safety Manager for the Duluth Area Family YMCA, “and I’m usually close to 80-percent staffed by this time of the year.  We’re not meeting community needs at our community branches.  I can’t take staff away from those to go and meet the need that we’ve agreed to help the city meet on our beaches.”

The good news is there is new training class set for April, and additional ones if need be, to find several people to fill the 120 work hours the beach needs to cover over a week.  Podtburg says some of the requirements needed to get a position include includes being certified by the American Red Cross, be able to swim over 500 yards continuously, and help educate people about water safety and the area.

“People who love Duluth love working at the beach,” says Podtburg, “because they get to talk about all the cool things that are in their city.  It’s a little bit like being a tour guide in some ways, because people will come and ask questions of where can I find this trail, or what’s a good place to go eat, or all of those things.”

The Duluth Fire Department is also hoping lifeguards are hired.  Chief Shawn Krizaj says having them will help them in several ways, from helping to educate people about daily water conditions to performing rescues before their crews can arrive on the scene.

“They are out there to help people, educate people, save people if they need to,” says Krizaj, “but actually prevent us from having to go out in what could then really turn into from just an unsafe experience to a life-threatening experience.”

Duluth Parks and Recreation says if no lifeguards are hired, the beach will remain open for the summer as a swim at your own risk location.  Other amenities will still be available based on staff availability.