Beach Patrol credits higher pay, incentives package for above average lifeguard recruitment in Ocean City

OCEAN CITY, Md. – Ocean City Beach Patrol is expecting all-time high recruitment numbers for their lifeguards and rescue techs.

Captain Butch Arbin says a boost in pay and other incentives approved by the Ocean City council is making the job more attractive, coming on the heels of a 2023 season where they were over 45 positions short.

This summer they have more than 40 new applicants going through training alone, as Arbin says they have implemented 20 dollars an-hour pay, 500-dollar signing bonuses, a rental housing stipend, and a re-signing and referral bonus for existing staff.

“Every indicator we have, things are just really going in the direction we wanted them to go, and again, it starts with the mayor and city council giving us an incredible benefit here by increasing our salaries and the incentive packages,” Captain Arbin.

The current recruiting class saw a 65 percent pass rate, indicating just how high-quality the hires are, Arbin says that’s key when beach patrol needs to make over 400 rescues a day during peak season.