>> Jennifer: YOU KNOW IT IS
FLORIDA WHEN TEMPERATURES IN THE
WINTER ARE IN THE HIGH 70s.
WE'RE EXPECTING TEMPERATURES TO
TOP OUT IN THE 80s TODAY.
THE BEACH IS NOT OFF LIMITS.
ONE OF THE TOP CONCERN I
SAFETY.
JACKSONVILLE BEACH IS LOOKING
FOR LIFEGUARDS.
THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
I KNOW YOU HAVE AN EVENT ON THE
15th.
THAT IS AN ORIENTATION TO GIVE
APPLICANTS AN IDEA OF WHAT TO
EXPECT.
THIS IS A GOOD IDEA TO LET THEM
KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT IF THEY WANT
TO BECOME A LIFEGUARD AND HOW
PHYSICALLY FIT YOU NEED TO BE.
>>> WHAT IS UNIQUE ABOUT OUR
ORGANIZATION IS THAT YOU GO
THROUGH A 12-WEEK RECRUIT
TRAINING CLASS.
ONCE YOU GO THROUGH THAT CLASS
YOU'RE A MEMBER OF THE VOLUNTEER
LIFE-SAVING CORPS WHICH THEN
YOU'RE ABLE TO WORK ALSO FOR THE
CITY OF JACKSONVILLE BEACH.
>>> BECAUSE WE HEAR LIFE-SAVING
VOLUNTEERING AND THE REALITY IS
YOU OBVIOUSLY GET PAID FOR OTHER
DAYS.
BUT YOU HAVE TO SIT THE BENCH, I
THINK, VOLUNTEERING CERTAIN
SUNDAYS?
OR EVERY SUNDAY?
>>> CORRECT WHEN YOU FIRST COME
IN AND BECOME A MEMBER, EVERY
SUNDAY AND NATIONAL HOLIDAY FOR
AT LEAST THE FIRST YEAR, AND
THEN AFTER THE SECOND YEAR, ONCE
YOU GET, YOU KNOW, SOME YEARS ON
YOU AND SENIORITY YOU CAN START
BEING EVERY OTHER SUNDAY GOING
ON A ACCRUED BASIS.
YOU'LL GET PAID MONDAY THROUGH
SATURDAY IF YOU CHOOSE TO WORK
FOR THE CITY OF JACKSONVILLE
BEACH.
>>> AND MOST TODAY.
>>> YOU'D BE SURPRISED ONE OF
OUR CLASSES HAD TWO OUT OF THE
EIGHT PEOPLE WORK FOR THE CITY
OF JACKSONVILLE BEACH AND THE
REST JUST WANTED TO VOLUNTEER ON
SUNDAYS AND NATIONAL HOLIDAYS.
>>> IT IS INTERESTING, TOO,
BECAUSE I'VELE ALWAYS HEARD
THIS, MY COUSIN WAS LIFEGUARD, A
LOT OF HIS FRIENDS I KNOW ARE
RETIRED NOW, OLDER AND DOING
OTHER THINGS.
THIS IS A REAL COMRADERY THAT
YOU HAVE IT IS TRULY LIFELONG
FRIENDS.
>> IT TRULY IS.
SAYING LIFEGUARDS FOR LIFE IS,
YOU KNOW, YOU'RE NOT JUST
JOINING A SUMMER JOB, YOU'RE
JOINING AN ORGANIZATION THAT
YOU'LL BUT A PART OF.
WE HAVE GUARDS WHO HAVE BEEN 8
YEARS, 20 YEARS AND ONE THING
COOL ABOUT US IS YOU SAID
RETIRED, AFTER YOU SIT AND
VOLUNTEER FOR EIGHT YEARS,
YOU'LL HAVE THE BENEFIT OF AN
ACTIVE LIFEGUARD FOR THE REST OF
YOUR LIFE.
>>> LET'S TALK A BRIT ABOUT THE
PHYSICALITY OF THIS.
WHAT ARE THEN THE I-RADIO?
I KNOW YOU HAVE THERE BE 16
YEARS OR OLDER.
THERE MAY BE SOME WHO NEVER
THOUGHT ABOUT THIS.
THEY MAY NOT BE IN FANTASTIC
SHAPE.
ARE THEY STILL ABLE TO TRY TO
KIND OF PULL THIS OFF?
>>> YOU KNOW, WE'RE LOOKING FOR
VERY ELITE, PHYSICALLY FIT
BODIES FOR OUR RECRUIT CLASS
NOW.
OUR TIME FOR THE SWIM IS UNDER
10 MINUTES FOR 22 LAPS IN A POOL
AND A MILE RUN IN UNDER EIGHT
MINUTES.
THAT IS JUST THE BARE MINIMUM IN
ORDER TO GET INTO THE RECRUIT
CLASS.
NOW IF YOU WERE CUTTING IT A
COUPLE SECONDS OVER OR MAYBE
EVEN A LITTLE BIT MORE THAN A
COUPLE SECONDS, WE'LL WORK WITH
YOU, BUT THERE A BENCHMARK AND
YOU KNOW, WE'LL CUT YOU FROM THE
RECRUIT CLASS IF YOU'RE NOT
MAKING THE BENCHMARKS.
AND THIS IS ONLY BECAUSE YOU'VE
SEEN IT, YOU'VE REPORTED ABOUT
IT, WE HAVE ONE OF THE MOST
EXTREMELY BUSY BEACHES IN
NORTHEAST FLORIDA.
AND WITH OUR AGENCY WORKING ALL
YEAR AROUND, WE ALSO NEARBY
BEACHES AS AN EMERGENCY.
>>> YOU DON'T NEED TO HAVE ANY
LIFE-SAVING KNOWLEDGE OR CPR
KNOWLEDGE.
ALL OF THAT -- LET'S TALK A
LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT THEY ARE
LEARN THEN OVER THIS 12 WEEK AND
THROUGH THE DURATION OF BEING A
LIFEGUARD.
>>> WHEN THEY RECRUIT COMES IN,
ALTHOUGH WE DO A LOT OF
PHYSICALLY FIT TRAINING, YOU
KNOW, WE TEACH ALL OF OUR
LIFEGUARDS FIRST RESPONDER,
LIFEGUARDS ARE NOT JUST THE
BEACH BUT ALSO THE POOL BECAUSE
WE DO SPECIAL EVENTS OUTSIDE OF
JACKSONVILLE BEACH AREA.
WE ALSO TEACH BASIC LIFE
SUPPORT, WE TEACH YOU THE
KNOWLEDGE OF OPEN WATER AND HOW
TO READ THE OCEAN.
HOW TO READ THE TIDES THE RIP
CURRENTS.
AND WE ALSO TEACH A LITTLE BIT
ABOUT THE HISTORY OF THE
VOLUNTEER LIFE-SAVING COURSE
SINCE WE'VE BEEN AROUND SINCE
1912.
>>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
WANT TO GIVE EVERYONE THE
INFORMATION ABOUT THE
ORIENTATION COMING UP ON.
VOLUNTEER LIFESAVING CORE IS
HAVING A WINTER CLASS
ORIENTATION FOR THOSE WHO WISH
TO BECOME A LIFEGUARD ON SUNDAY
JANUARY 15th AT 10 IN THE
MORNING AND MEET AT THE AMERICAN
RED CROSS LIFESAVING CORPS RIGHT
THERE IN JACKSONVILLE BEACH ON
BEACH BOULEVARD ACROSS FROM
JOE'S CRAB SHACK.
WE'VE MADE IT EASY, WE'VE PUT A
LINK ON OUR WEB SITE,