The Parks Department expects to fall short of the 550 lifeguards needed to open all sections of the city’s beaches by Memorial Day weekend, despite a five-month recruitment campaign.
Parks officials last week refused to say how many lifeguards they’ve hired since the recruitment drive started in January, but said 1,700 people have taken the qualifying test and 440 have passed it.
Turnout for the rigorous test is “high,” and more applicants are passing now than last year, said Parks Commissioner Henry Stern.
But a Stern aide conceded the department won’t have enough lifeguards to open every stretch of city beach by next Saturday, the official start of the summer season.
“We won’t hit the 550 mark until around July4,” said Parks spokesman Ed Skyler.
Most lifeguards are hired in June because that’s when college students go on summer break.
The department hopes to come up with another 550 lifeguards – for a total of 1,100 – to man the city’s 55 outdoor and indoor pools, which will be open July 1 through Labor Day.
The department has been awash in bad press the last two years for not being able to find enough lifeguards.
Last year, officials planned to hire 1,200 with a $1.5 million budget boost from Mayor Giuliani – but were forced to close four miles of beach when they ended up with under 1,000.
The department needs fewer lifeguards this year because 1 miles of beach in the Rockaways – from Beach 44th through Beach 57th streets and Beach 61st through Beach 75th streets – will be closed for erosion protection.
Bay 21 in Coney Island will also be shut down.
Skyler and Stern said a radio, newspaper and mass-transit ad blitz – as well as the opening of a Staten Island training center – have lured more recruits.
Anyone 16 years old and over who can swim 50 yards in 35 seconds or less, is in good physical shape and can pass a vision test qualifies for the job, which pays $8.90 per hour before July 1 and $9.32 after.
A 40-hour training course includes CPR and water-safety instruction.
The pools and the beaches will be open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily.