Lifeguard Crisis

* Re: “Surf City Is Running Out of Lifeguards,” by David Reyes, July 28:

After reading your article on the lifeguard shortage, I realized that this is a very serious issue that requires an immediate solution.

The idea that portions of our beaches could be closed to beach-goers for any reason is something that should concern us all. This is no less a health hazard than a toxic spill or raised bacteria levels.

The liability to the city of a “lifeguard here--no lifeguard there” policy could be devastating in the cost of defending the city against the inevitable lawsuits alone.

This is also a perfect opportunity for our business community to rally around the lifeguards (and maybe other public safety employees?) by giving them discounts at their places of operation.

Perhaps a business license in Huntington Beach could require a business to honor a Lifeguard Identification Card and give the bearer a 20% to 30% discount similar to what mall employers provide their employees.

It’s either that or pay the lifeguards what their skill and responsibility are worth and raise fees accordingly to pay for it.

The fact is, we expect our city government to exploit the talents of children without compensating them fairly, and then we expect the children not to see this and be attracted to the job anyway.

Our children are too smart for this.

They see that physical ability is rewarded only on the organized sport playing field.

In the rest of the world, the kids see that it’s the attitude that a “strong back equals a weak mind” that drives down the pay for physically demanding work.

Let’s give the lifeguards the respect they deserve and develop a pay and benefit package that will attract them back to the profession.

JOHN GRACE

Huntington Beach