Clearwater Fire Rescue Hiring Beach Lifeguards for Spring and Summer

Clearwater Fire Rescue seeks part-time beach lifeguards this spring and summer. Pay starts at $19.25 per hour. Applications are open as crews prepare for the rush of spring break visitors and summer crowds.

Lifeguards will monitor 1.2 miles of public shoreline and ocean. They'll work from one of seven stations. Each year, millions descend on these beaches.

"Our beach lifeguards are first responders in every sense of the word," said Patrick Brafford, beach lifeguard manager. "They are prepared to deal with a variety of situations on the sand and in the water."

You must be 17 or older to apply. CPR certification is required, as is first aid training. Then comes the skills test: a 500-meter swim in under 10 minutes, followed by a 1-mile run. Both tasks combined cannot exceed 18 minutes.

Surf swimming background helps, particularly in rough currents or hazardous conditions. The department provides surf lifesaving instruction.

"The number one thing that we're in charge of is water surveillance and responding to emergencies," Brafford told Tampa Bay 28. "It's a lot of reactions, but it's also very proactive, and we focus on trying to prevent things before they happen and educate folks on what's going on so that we reduce the number of people that get into trouble out here."

This recruitment drive arrives just as spring break looms. Richard and Linda VanKampen have returned to these shores for years. They know what draws people here.

"We like the sugar sand, and all the shops and restaurants are close to the motel we stay in," said Linda.

Brafford wants more staff before peak season hits. "We can't ever have enough part-time lifeguards, but this is where we really want to ramp up for the months to come," he said.

"When you invite somebody out here to your backyard to experience what we have to offer here, you have the obligation to protect these folks, and that's what we do," Brafford added.

"We love to help people, we like to be able to make a difference, and we're looking for people that want to do the same," he said.