The Shore seems like a great place to be during this heat wave, even if you don’t opt for a dip in the ocean. But all the extra visitors put a strain on lifeguard services, forcing some beaches to close and others to operate in new ways as they fill staffing holes during the busy part of the season.
Beachgoers in Brigantine have been free to swim all summer, despite the Brigantine Beach Patrol being stretched. The patrol started the summer with 110 lifeguards, all but five of whom are still working. But losing five is enough to put a strain on those who are left.
“It does stretch us out, because it’s a seven-day-a-week operation, and every guard has to have two days off every week… Now I’m balancing closing a beach for the morning because there’s other activities going on,” said Kip Emig, Chief of Brigantine Beach Patrol.
The lifeguard shortage was a bigger concern further south in Cape May, where the beach patrol’s training program had to be revamped, making it more flexible to attract more recruits.
