Junior Lifeguard Program Reopening In Los Angeles County

REDONDO BEACH, CA — The 2021 Junior Lifeguard program is back and heading to the beach this summer following a hiatus due to the pandemic.

"With the approval and support of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, the Los Angeles County Fire Department (LACoFD) plans to safely reopen a modified version of its Junior Lifeguard Program (JLP) this summer," the Los Angeles County Fire Department announced Tuesday.

The program is for Los Angeles County kids ages 9 through 17. It's designed to help youth develop beach and ocean skills, providing instruction in water safety, swimming, body surfing, surfing, physical conditioning, competition skills, first aid, lifesaving rescue techniques, CPR, and how to use professional, lifesaving equipment.

The Board of Supervisors approved a motion by Fourth District Supervisor Janice Hahn on Feb. 9, requesting a detailed report on the reopening of the program. The report is now complete and outlines how junior lifeguards can resume the program safely, including protocols to follow the current Department of Public Health Officer Order for COVID-19.

These are the following precautions the program plans to take:

• Reducing the student-to-instructor ratio of 20:1 which will allow for 3,100 JLP participants, compared to previous pre-pandemic programs which allowed for up to 4,300 participants with a 30:1 ratio.
• Requiring and enforcing instructors and students to wear face coverings at all times, except during swimming and eating/drinking.
• Maintaining physical distancing of a minimum of six feet as well reminding participants on best practices to prevent infection and promote proper hygiene.
• Performing health and temperature screenings of instructors and participants at the start of each day.
• Returning participants can expect to receive an email from the JLP to begin registration on March 16. New JLP applications will be available through the LACoFD website starting April 1. The Department will also conduct outreach in untapped Los Angeles County communities that have been underrepresented in the past.

More information is available on the Los Angeles County Fire Department's website.

Anyone with questions can contact the LACoFD Junior Lifeguard administration at (310) 939-7214 or via email at [email protected].