HUNTINGTON BEACH : Criticism of Guard System ‘Unfounded’

Most charges made last month against the management of Huntington Beach’s lifeguard system are without merit, City Administrator Michael T. Uberuaga told the City Council on Monday night.

Uberuaga launched an investigation after former city lifeguard Robert Thomas charged at a council meeting July 20 that bad management had caused severe problems in the lifeguard system. Thomas also charged that public safety had eroded because of the problems.

Thomas, 31, who is now a lifeguard for Laguna Beach, was with the Huntington Beach marine safety division for 11 years until being fired last February over what he said was internal politics. He told the City Council that there is “a big morale problem among lifeguards.” He also accused Huntington Beach lifeguard management of ethical irregularities.

In a report to the council on Monday night, Uberuaga said his investigation found some internal-communication problems within the lifeguard-management system. But the city administrator said his probe found no serious defects and that most of Thomas’ charges were unfounded.

“Most certainly I can say that there is no danger to public safety,” Uberuaga said, in an interview. “The specific allegations by Mr. Thomas, for the most part, did not have foundations. There are some management problems, and we’re going to address those problems. But there is nothing that affects public safety.”

Uberuaga said he does not plan to remove or demote any current managers within the lifeguard system. “One problem is that there is no (lifeguard system) operations manual that is very specific,” Uberuaga said. “This is one of the things that we’ll be developing.”