Children ages nine through 17 all across LA County can take to the water this summer as part of the county’s junior lifeguard program. The popular youth activity will be up and running this summer with COVID-19 safety precautions in place.
The program, which is run by the LA County Fire Department and teaches beach and ocean skills such as swimming, surfing, physical conditioning, first aid, lifesaving rescue techniques and CPR, had its safety plan approved by the LA County Board of Supervisors on Saturday, Feb. 9. Those protocols include measures such as reducing the student-to-instuctor ratio to 20:1 as opposed to previous years’ 30:1, requiring face coverings except when swimming and eating, performing daily health and temperature screenings of instructors and maintaining a minimum of six feet of distance.
“The department will also be conducting outreach in untapped Los Angeles County communities that have been underrepresented in the past,” a statement from the program mentioned.
Past program participants should have received an email on Tuesday, March 16, with registration information. New participants may apply beginning Thursday, April 1, here.
Anyone with questions should contact the LACoFD Junior Lifeguard administration at 310.939.7214 or via email at fire-juniorlifeguards@fire.lacounty.gov.