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Home My WebLink AboutSS2 - Junior Lifeguard ProgramCITY OF NEWPORT BEACH CITY COUNCIL STAFF REPORT Agenda Item No. SS2 October 25, 2005 TO: HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL FROM: Fire Department Fire Chief Tim Riley, 644 -3101, triley @city.newport - beach.ca.us SUBJECT: Junior Lifeguard Program RECOMMENDATION: The City of Newport Beach offers Junior Lifeguard participants their choice of participating in one of two sessions, each four weeks in duration. Both sessions would have a Morning or Afternoon class option. This plan would offer a safe, quality ocean education program and space for future growth accommodating up to 2,000 potential participants. DISCUSSION: The City of Newport Beach Junior Lifeguard Program started in 1984 with 50 participants, and by 2005, has increased in size and popularity to 1,207 participants. Prior to the 2005 season, we were able to accommodate all resident and non - resident Junior Lifeguard participants. During the registration process last spring our demand for participation outnumbered our supply of space in the program. The goal is for the City of Newport Beach Fire Department to continue to offer a safe, high quality Junior Lifeguard Program. Boys and girls ages 9 -15 will learn about ocean safety, while the City continues to maintain the safety and quality of the Program, by adjusting the Program schedule to meet community needs for increased participation. Since the spring Council Study Session, we have gathered many suggestions from many sources (some solicited and some unsolicited), including ideas from co- workers, current and past parents of Junior Lifeguard participants, other Junior Lifeguard Program Coordinators, civic leaders, family and friends. We believe there are nine essential components with definitions that contribute to the success of the City of Newport Beach Junior Lifeguard Program: Junior Lifeguard Program October 25, 2005 Page 2 Component Definition JG Safety Number one priority; assure JG safety in the ocean environment. Program Quality Success is based on quality of product, class size and content. Instructor Quality Success is based on Instructors, excellent character and role model. Maximum # Number of potential participants we are able to enroll. Travel Safety Traveling to and from Balboa Pier area considering community impact. Program Cost Program Registration fees related to quality and duration. Parking Number of potential parking spaces accessible to the JG location. Customer Service Ability to serve the JG and family once registered for the program. Community Needs Ability to adjust to community needs and changes. Keeping these in mind, we have considered numerous options for increasing the number of participants in our program. They are all based around four main themes; Keep the same (that is why we have been successful), alter the participant schedule (change when JG's attend class), alter the program schedule (have multiple locations or different sessions) or make stricter program requirements which will serve to disqualify a certain number of potential participants (lower swim times or alter ages). After considering all of the Program options, the four best are listed below in the order in which we believe they best meet the needs of the community. Program Option Advantage Disadvantage Two 4 -week JG Programs with Keep JG safety, 4 -week class content. 1,000 each session (maximum quality program and Unknown 4 -week of 2,000 JG's) AM or PM classes. quality instructors. issues. At the Balboa Pier. Increase customer service and meet community needs. Future growth. Keep the same, one 8 -week JG Program Consistent with Not meeting with 1,200 participants AM or PM classes. success. community needs. At the Balboa Pier. One 8 -week JG Program with 1,500 Keep 8 weeks of Decrease of program participants AM or PM classes. instruction. safety and instructor At the Balboa Pier. quality. One 8 -week JG Program at Additional Decrease of program two satellite locations (Balboa participants. and instructor quality. Pier and ?) with 1,800 JG's Increased cost of two AM or PM classes. locations. Second location, parking issues. Junior Lifeguard Program October 25, 2005 Page 3 There are advantages and disadvantages to be considered with all of the options. When the four best options are ranked by essential program components, the two four -week program options is ranked best. Since we started the Junior Lifeguard Program in 1984, the school year has been rearranged, with less summer vacation days. Families will be able to arrange a summer vacation without the stress of missing Junior Lifeguard classes. Many other Junior Lifeguard Programs in California have adopted two sessions to better accommodate their participants. Also, the two four -week Junior Lifeguard Program option requires fewer Lifeguard Instructors to operate and should enhance the availability of lifeguards to work in Lifeguard Operations. Both of the two four -week sessions would offer the same number of instructional days. Each session would include a Hot Dog Dinner, Picture Day, Monster Mile and Graduation. The first session would offer the California Regional Competition and the second session would offer an alternate Competition. Participants from either session would be permitted to participate in the Junior Lifeguard National Competition and the Gray Lunde Iron Man events. Participants would register for one session or the other, not both, because there would be a duplication of class content. The registration process would be similar to past practice, giving Newport Beach residents registration priority over non - residents. A few minor changes to enhance the process include: requiring a copy of participant's birth certificates, a 20% registration fee increase for non - residents, allowing only three attempts to pass the swim test, a surcharge for special swim test arrangements and a parent or guardian signature certifying residency and medical conditions. Registration fees would be approximately $425 for the four -week program inclusive of instruction, uniform and special events. Compared to other summer programs, this is a very reasonable fee for an all inclusive quality four -week beach program. New 2006 Junior Lifeguard Program information will be available to the public in January of next year. To clarify an idea that has been proposed, a Balboa Community Education Center with a Junior Lifeguard Headquarters would be "nice to have." This facility would provide an increased safety factor for our participants, increase employee morale and institutionalize our place in the community. A new facility would not alleviate the community impact of having a larger 8 -week Junior Lifeguard Program. In conclusion, the ocean environment is what makes the City of Newport Beach a special and wonderful place to reside. If not respected, this beautiful ocean environment can be very dangerous. Over the past 22 years, the City of Newport Beach Junior Lifeguard Program has educated more than 20,000 children about ocean safety. As a result, there are more children and their families aware of the importance of ocean safety in our community. I hope that this suggested change to our Junior Lifeguard Program is well embraced by our community and that the City of Newport Beach Junior Lifeguard Program can continue to spread the message of ocean safety to all prospective participants. Junior Lifeguard Program October 25, 2005 Page 4 Fiscal Impact: The 2006 Junior Lifeguard Program budget will need to be adjusted to reflect projected revenue for two four -week programs including appropriate operating expenditures and salaries. Environmental Review: There is no requirement for environmental review. Prepared and Submitted by: