Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell on Thursday signed a bill into law that extends the hours of city lifeguards from sunup to sundown.
Currently, Honolulu Ocean Safety oversees 200 miles of coastline up to a mile offshore at more than 70 beach parks. Current lifeguard hours at most beaches are
9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
The extended hours are set to begin July 1, 2021.
“Once this program is fully implemented, our residents and visitors can be assured that when you go to the beach anytime during daylight hours, our highly skilled lifeguards will be there if you need help, leading to more lives being saved,” said Jim Howe, Honolulu Emergency Services Department director, in a news release. “Although the bill does not require the program to be implemented until the summer of 2021, the department will make every reasonable effort to get these life-saving services out to the beaches and the public as soon as possible.”
The bill, introduced by Councilwoman Kymberly Pine, noted the increased demand for lifeguard services due to the growing use of
Oahu’s beaches from early mornings to late afternoons by residents and visitors alike. A growing number of visitors are also spending time in the ocean, the bill noted, spurred by marketing and social media posts.
Pine, who has been pushing for the extended hours for several years, noted drowning is the No. 1 cause of death among visitors and the fifth-leading cause of death for kamaaina, and that nearly 20% of ocean emergencies occur outside of the current lifeguard hours of
9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
The new legislation has been hailed as a win-win for both lifeguards and the
public.
In February the city extended lifeguard coverage at Hanauma Bay from dawn to dusk as part of a pilot project to improve safety at the popular snorkeling spot. The extended hours also offered lifeguards a 10-hour-per-day, four-day workweek option.
“City and County lifeguards have wanted to extend their hours of service at Oahu beach parks for decades, because as first responders helping people and saving lives is not just what they do, it is who they are,” said Pine in a statement. “The Hanauma Bay pilot project proved that the shorter workweeks provided by extended, dawn-to-dusk hours, will save the City money in workers’ compensation claims and sick leave and boost lifeguard morale.”
Not only will the measure improve quality of life for lifeguards by offering them more flexible work schedules, she said, it will allow them to save more lives on the beach.
Caldwell said the tremendous amount of support the bill received from City Council members throughout the hearing process validated its importance to Oahu’s communities and to the men and women of the Ocean Safety division.
In 2018 the Honolulu Ocean Safety and Lifeguard Services Division logged more than 22.5 million visits to beach parks, more than
1 million preventive actions, 104,857 first-aid actions and 2,148 rescues.
The department does not yet have an estimated budget for the extended lifeguard hours, but currently works with an estimated
$15 million from the last fiscal year. The starting pay
for a full-time lifeguard is $43,000 annually.
Howe must submit a program for the extended lifeguard hours to the City Council by Jan. 1, 2021. He is committed to extending lifeguard tower operations at specific beaches and increasing mobile response services. The expansion will be done incrementally and strategically, based on locations where the highest number of drowning incidents and injuries occur.
The extended hours are long overdue, according to those who testified in support of the bill.
“The more lifeguards we have on duty from dawn until dusk at our beaches, ready to make a rescue or prevent a rescue from being needed, that’s going to increase the odds of survival for our visitors and locals,” said Bryan Phillips, a lifeguard of 15 years. “It’s just a no-brainer when it comes to public safety, beachgoer safety and also the ability to have an extra day of rest for our lifeguards.”
Ocean Safety holds tryouts for new recruits in the spring.
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HONOLULU OCEAN SAFETY
>> Responsible for 200 miles of Oahu’s coastline up to 1 mile offshore
>> Provides tower lifeguard services at 22 city beach parks and one state beach park
>> Has eight mobile rescue teams responsible for servicing 49 city beach parks
Source: City and County of Honolulu
