California parks to boost annual fees, cut lifeguards

[Judi Lynn]

Article Last Updated: Saturday, April 03, 2004 - 3:40:35 AM PST

California parks to boost annual fees, cut lifeguards
By Don Thompson, Associated Press

SACRAMENTO -- The annual fee is going up to use California state parks, officials announced Friday, even as the nation's largest park system trims the number of seasonal lifeguards for the third consecutive year.
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Annual pass prices will begin ratcheting up this month instead of waiting until the July 1 start of the next fiscal year as the department had announced in December. The earlier phase-in is needed to raise enough money to offset a $15 million cut, the department said; without it, an estimated 100 parks would have to be closed.

Starting April 15 the passes will be sold for $110. The price will rise to $115 on May 1; to $120 on June 1; and reach their previously announced limit of $125 on July 1.

Currently, an annual pass is $67. Former Gov. Gray Davis ordered fees cut in half four years ago when the state enjoyed a budget surplus, but the fees are now returning to near-historic levels.
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http://www.trivalleyherald.com/Stories/0,1413,86~10669~2060571,00.html
On edit: Might be slow loading this morning.

[haele]

1. With the possibilities of increase of pacific storms this year...

...(common in El Nino type weather patterns - as this year appears to be developing), as well as cliffs that have been made more unstable due to more "liquid sunshine" days - the loss of seasonal lifeguards along the coasts will cause an increase of deaths on cliffs and in riptides.

Unfortunately, most of these deaths will be young people and tourists who aren't familiar with safe practices along the beaches. There are already too many public beaches that don't have sufficient oversight to protect the public.
Think of how many security and medical personnel are required as insurance for any major public special event - and then think about how many people are on the public beaches on any given day during the summer.
The average seasonal public (i.e. Parks and Rec employees of the state, county and/or municipal) beach lifeguard in California is not just some bored teenager holding down a summer job on the beach - even the seasonal volunteer lifeguards required to be trained in at least the basics of emergency security (including criminal apprehension and crime scene recognition), rescue (including cliff, rapid water and coastal boat rescue) and emergency medical procedures before they are sent out to their little hutches or out in their cute patrol SUV's. Full time beach lifeguards are required to train year round, even if they are only considered seasonal contract employees.
(Public pools are a different matter - they are usually the bored teens with Red Cross lifeguard training showing off their tans for the most part...)
California is expecting a recovery of their tourist season this year.
It's a pity and a possible insurance nightmare that they won't be able to provide sufficient public lifeguard services for the season.

Haele