OCBP recruiting in Canada to combat lifeguard shortage

OCEAN CITY, Md. – Ocean City Beach patrol switching out swim suits for snow boots as they took a trip up to Canada over the weekend, and visited the University of Montreal to ramp up recruitment efforts in preparation for the next summer season.

Eight members of the OCBP conducted Re-Employment Physical Skills Evaluations test on Saturday to see how many more qualified candidates they can get to fill the lifeguard stands for next year and OCBP’s Captain Butch Arbin is in charge of recruitment.

“Thirty-four signed up to test in Montreal,” Capt. Arbin said. “On Saturday, thirty-one of the potential participants showed up.”

“Again, our test in Ocean City get about 35% to come. Up there in Canada, it’s thirty one out of thirty-four.”

With the U.S. having a consistent shortage of life guards for summer seasons, OCBP has been forced to come up with creative ideas to attract more participants to try out for their squad.

Ocean City Manager Terry McGean says “for a couple years, we have noticed a lot of men and women coming down from Canada and we realized there is a pool of talent up there that maybe we have not reached.”

Town officials say finding local talent to fill the life guard stands has been a challenge. Ocean City Manager Terry McGean says they’ve tried signing bonuses, increased pay, overtime and buying more equipment, like four wheelers.

“That allows our sergeants to move between stands much faster, so when we have a guard that has to go rescue someone, they can quickly make it to the stand while they do that,” but they still need more applicants to make the surf safe forcing Ocean City Beach Patrol captain Butch Arbin to look outside of the Eastern Shore for reliable candidates.

“Some of our local people can’t even get out of bed in the morning to show up for a test,” Capt. Arbin said. “With so much support from the Canadian group, we decided we would try that.”

Arbin says that last year recruitment was at an all time high, but having more life guards is always safer.

“We have been struggling to recruit enough guards to fill our stands each year,” McGean said.

Captain Arbin says their “pass rate of the ones who do show up is usually about 40%, with most of the ones not being able to pass cannot swim, which is crazy if they are trying out to be life guards.”