For the first time ever, East Hampton Village will offer a lifeguard certification at its own beaches, the village’s head lifeguard, Drew Smith, announced earlier this month.
“Our neighbors in the Town of East Hampton and Southampton Town have lifeguard certification, and the village didn’t, so I wrote our own lifeguard course, which was approved by the state,” Mr. Smith said in a phone call after sharing the news with the village board on March 17.
The six-day course covers the fundamentals of what the job of a lifeguard entails, rescue techniques, how to use the radios, first-aid review, how to rescue around jetties versus pilons, lifeguard equipment, and even what to do about spinal injuries.
“It’s an in-depth plunge into the daily tasks of a lifeguard,” he said. “We’ll continue to work hand in hand with the Town of East Hampton. It’s the same certification. It’s just a step in the right direction to build a better beach in the village by providing our guards with another outlet to get certified.”
Additionally, Jason Brunner, a village lifeguard, is taking an instructor course for K38 Jet Skis. “All of our beaches have Jet Skis on them now,” said Mr. Smith. “We’ll be able to get our guards trained on skis now too. It’s just another way to elevate our training and responsibility.”
Village beaches will be staffed by lifeguards and officially open for swimming on May 15.
