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As drownings rise, Mayor Adams extends lifeguard shifts at NYC beaches during extreme heat
By
Elizabeth Kim
Published Jul 30, 2024
Modified Jul 30, 2024
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Spencer Platt/Getty Images
By
Elizabeth Kim
Published Jul 30, 2024
Modified Jul 30, 2024
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In the wake of six drownings at city beaches this summer, Mayor Eric Adams said Tuesday the parks department will require some lifeguards to stay on duty for an extra two hours during heat emergencies.
The roughly 400 lifeguards stationed on beaches clear their shifts on the sand at 6 p.m., but Adams said 66 of them will stick around the beaches until 8 p.m. during heat emergencies.
But he said swimming would still remain off limits after 6 p.m., meaning New Yorkers won’t be able to spend extra time in the water on the hottest days of the year.
“To be clear, lifeguards will not be in their chairs or out on the sand [during the extended hours],” Adams said during a press conference at City Hall.
The new policy was an acknowledgement of the concerning death toll along the city’s shoreline. The number of drownings reported at the beaches over the last two months is already the highest in a single summer since 2019, when at least seven people drowned.
The mayor said having lifeguards stay at their stations longer means they could help first-responders, including police and firefighters, in the event of emergencies.
The extended lifeguard shifts will only happen when the city activates its heat emergency plan, which takes effect when the heat index is predicted to be 95 degrees or higher for two or more days, or 100 degrees or higher for one or more days.
Adams has been facing pressure from several elected officials to extend lifeguard hours at city beaches during periods of extreme heat. In 2019, then-Mayor Bill de Blasio ordered longer beach and pool hours during a July heat wave.
Earlier this month, Adams dismissed the idea of extended lifeguard shifts as a way to prevent drownings. He said the city would instead focus on teaching the public about water safety.
The city is still dealing with a shortage of lifeguards four years after the pandemic interrupted swimming lessons and lifeguard training across the five boroughs. Parks department officials on Tuesday said they currently have 922 lifeguards on staff, including the roughly 400 stationed at beaches. Officials said they need 1,500 lifeguards to fully staff the city’s beaches and pools.
City Councilmember Shekar Krishnan of Queens called the mayor’s announcement “a small step in the right direction.”
“With six drownings already, just halfway through this summer, we are seeing the tragic consequences of the mayor’s lack of meaningful action,” he said.
Queens Borough President Donovan Richards similarly urged the mayor to take further steps to stem drownings, including extending the beach season beyond early September.
“The mayor’s announcement today is a solid first step toward addressing the beach safety crisis our city faces, but the administration needs to do even more to make sure we’re making real, tangible investments in water safety and swim instruction,” Richards said in a statement.
In addition to extending hours at city pools and beaches, Krishnan said the city should expand free swim lessons and revisit its approach to hiring lifeguards. Earlier this year, the city negotiated a new contract with the lifeguard union that officials said has made hiring easier.
“We saw the problem and we modified and made the right adjustments,” Adams said.
This story has been updated with comment from Queens Borough President Donovan Richards.
Tagged
new york city
Politics
parks
Elizabeth Kim
Elizabeth Kim is a reporter on the People and Power desk who covers mayoral power. She previously covered the pandemic, housing, redevelopment and public spaces. A native of Queens, she speaks fluent Mandarin. Got a tip? Email [email protected]
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