Surfing Into Unsafe Waters? : County and state have to get their lifeguard act together

Sacramento is talking about taking back operation of the eight state-owned beaches in Los Angeles County. The development comes in response to the County Board of Supervisors’ unexpected decision last Tuesday to yank lifeguards and maintenance crews from the eight beaches on May 2. Such a shift might save money for the financially ailing county, but would it compromise the safety of beach-goers?

At issue is the county’s insistence that the state share the cost for the Malibu Surfrider, Manhattan, Redondo, Topanga, Dan Blocker, Point Dume, Las Tunas and Royal Palms beaches. All this sounds familiar; last year the county staged a similar standoff. Then, it never went past the stage of threatening to eliminate services, and Sacramento came to the rescue by agreeing to give it a one-time infusion of about $1 million to fund beach services this year.

In the meantime, Los Angeles County and the state, which has its own money problems, have been trying to work out a long-term solution that would involve the state Parks and Recreation Department handing title to the eight beaches to the county, an act that the Legislature must approve. Progress was being made toward that end, but three of the five county supervisors--Mike Antonovich, Gloria Molina and Zev Yaroslavsky--voted abruptly to cut off funding. They put the state on notice that it will have to assume responsibility for the beaches unless it comes up with more money for lifeguards and maintenance.

It now costs the county $4.3 million--$2.58 million goes for lifeguards--to service the eight state-owned beaches. Los Angeles County lifeguards, some of whom have paramedic training, are considered to be among the best in the state. Would the state hire or contract these county employees?

The state Parks and Recreation Department, which plans to move a transition team to Manhattan Beach today, insists that it can maintain the level of safety and upkeep that the county now provides. It adds that it can even do the job cheaper. Some indeed believe the state would do a better job of managing beach resources and warn that if the county takes title it might sharply raise various fees to the public in order to turn the beaches into revenue generators. Others question whether the state has the expertise to operate beaches in congested urban areas.

The short-term concern is public safety. With the peak beach season near, can the public be assured that its beaches will be safe this summer?