Headline Surfer photo (above) and video (below) of lifeguards at the beach in Daytona.
By HENRY FREDERICK / Headline Surfer
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- The last day for summer lifeguard tryouts is Saturday at the Port Orange YMCA.
"Are you interested in a job that involves sun, sand, and saving lives?" asked Tammy Marris, deputy chief of the Volusia County Beach Safety Ocean Rescue?
"If so, we have the perfect summer gig for you! Volusia County's Beach Safety Division is hiring lifeguards to help keep beachgoers safe this summer."
Tryouts are mandatory for those interested in a position. The last tryout date and location are 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday (March 12) at the Port Orange YMCA, 4701 City Center Parkway, Port Orange.
Applicants must be at least 16 on or before June 1 and be able to swim 500 meters freestyle in under 10 minutes, swim 50 yards freestyle in under 30 seconds, and run a half-mile in under 3 minutes, 15 seconds.
Candidates considered for hire will undergo a background check, physical and drug screening. Starting pay is $13.24 per hour.
There is a $500 incentive for lifeguards if they meet criteria specifying the number of weekend workdays over their first summer. This is explained during the recruiting class. Those who wish to participate in the selection process must attend one of the 2022 tryouts, as well as Volusia County Beach Safety's lifeguard recruit class (mandatory 48-hour ocean rescue training).
Additionally, participants must attend a 40-hour first responder class and CPR course or provide proof of equivalence.
For more information, visit volusia.org/beach or call 386-239-6414. Deputy Chief Tamra Malphurs Volusia County Beach Safety Ocean Rescue Public Information Officer.
Headline Surfer video / Flashback video to Aug. 29, 2014 - It's the changing of the (life) guard on Daytona Beach, also known as the World's Most Famous Beach where you can still drive on parts of the hard sands where NASCAR got its start more than a half-century ago. There are lots of challenges: Shark bites, manatees, jellyfish, rip currents, surfing the curling waves, getting a tan "(or sunburn)...
About the Byline Writer: Henry Frederick is a member of the working press and publisher of Headline Surfer, the award-winning 24/7 internet news outlet launched in 2008, that serves greater Daytona Beach, Sanford & Orlando from Lake Mary, Florida via HeadlineSurfer.com. Frederick has amassed close to 150 award-winning bylines in print & online. He earned his Master of Arts in New Media Journalism from Full Sail University in 2019. He was a breaking news reporter (metro cops & courts beat) for the Daytona Beach News-Journal for nearly a decade. And Before that worked the same beat for The Journal-News/Gannett Suburban Newspapers in Rockland/Westchester counties, NY, dating back to 1989. Having witnessed the execution of serial killer Aileen Wuornos in Florida's death chamber and covering other high profile cases, Frederick has appeared on national crime documentary shows on Discovery ID, Reelz, and the Oxygen Network series "Snapped" for his analysis. • Award-Winning Journalism: Florida Press Club recognizes Headline Surfer for nine stories in 2020 statewide competition. • Award-Winning Journalism of Henry Frederick.