Lakefront Personnel PDF

Chapter 5: Lakefront Personnel Section 1 - Lakefront Employment & Organizational Chart Lakefront Organizational Chart Chain of Command A chain of command is an organizational structure that documents how each member of a department reports to one another. Throughout the workday, you should...

Chapter 5: Lakefront Personnel Section 1 - Lakefront Employment & Organizational Chart Lakefront Organizational Chart Chain of Command A chain of command is an organizational structure that documents how each member of a department reports to one another. Throughout the workday, you should direct all questions/issues/comments to your direct supervisor above you in the organizational chart. If your direct supervisor can not answer or needs assistance with your issue, then they or you may move up one step further. 1.1 Beach Office Manager & Assistant Manager The beach office manager and assistant manager are in charge of overseeing the beach office staff and gate attendants and overall operations of the Dempster St Beach Office including permit sales, beach pass sales, boat launch pass sails, Dempster Launch storage and picnic permits. 1.2 Gate Attendants The gate attendants are in charge of admitting patrons to the beach, by way of either a season pass or daily pass. Gate attendants are required to keep track of the number of patrons admitted. The Dempster St. Beach, Church St. Launch and Dog Beach attendants are also considered gate attendants. Gate attendants are typically the first in line to give information to the public so it is very important that gate attendants are involved in the daily beach operations for the day. 1.3 Lifeguards While all of the aquatic jobs at the lakefront are staffed by lifeguards, the guards on the beach are tasked with protecting the patrons and maintaining the beach. Whether they are actively performing lifeguard surveillance in the chair or picking up trash, guards are responsible for the safety of all beach patrons and maintaining the beach. 1.4 Beach Managers The manager oversees the beach everyday. They are in charge of the daily scheduling, training, documenting and tasking while partaking in the work themselves. You and your staff are on duty your entire shift. Beach managers will not guard in rotation, but are responsible for completing and leading non-guarding tasks such as in-service exercises, clean-up, patrolling the fence-line, cleanliness of the washroom, rotations, the log sheet, etc. Managers should never leave the beach during the day for non-work related issues. 1.5 Lifeguard Supervisors Lifeguard Supervisors are responsible for the overall supervision of the Evanston Lakefront. They manage all staff, assist with Camp’s daily duties, emergencies on the beaches, and deal with any issues with the public. The supervisors oversee most of the logistics of the Evanston lakefront. 1.6 Lifeguard Coordinator Lifeguard Coordinators direct, oversee, and assist Lifeguard Supervisors, Beach Managers, and Lifeguards through daily and/or emergency operations. Furthermore, this position coordinates pre-season/in-service training, shift scheduling, outreach with the City of Evanston/Evanston Fire Department, and the facilitation of a safe and efficient working environment. 1.7 Camp Directors & Assistant Directors Responsible for overseeing the logistics and safety of Aquatic Camp and Jr Lifeguard Camp as well as supervising camp counselors. 1.8 Aquatics Camp Counselors Responsible for engaging children in camp activities while ensuring their safety. The counselors provide a constructive environment for learning aquatic skills such as sailing, fishing, and water skiing. 1.9 Sailing Center Director & Assistant Directors The Sailing Center Director is responsible for the supervision of the sailing staff and the safety of all campers, students, sailors and kayakers on or near Dempster St. Sailing Beach. They also oversee lessons, rentals, and evening camp programs. 1.10 Sailing Staff Sailing staff ensure patron safety at the Dempster Street beach as well as oversee rentals of all water craft. Furthermore, they conduct lessons in sailing and paddling and act as counselors for the various evening programs and camps. 1.11 Substitutes Subs can cover shifts for positions that they have already been trained in. Substitutes adhere to the responsibilities of whatever position they are covering for the day. Section 2 – Schedules It is your responsibility to know your schedule and to find subs for days that you need off, failure to adhere to your schedule not only makes you a bad employee but it burdens other staff and creates the potential for an unsafe lakefront since it may not always be possible to fill the spot you left vacant. All staff are expected to start and end their day at Dempster St Beach and arrive on time. If you are late or will be absent, you must notify your supervisor prior to your shift. Schedules subject to change upon inclement weather/unsafe conditions: The start time for a shift may be pushed back in the event of inclement weather or other unsafe, pre-existing conditions as designated by the City Manager or command staff. All staff will receive timely notice of the shift change in these events. We reserve the right to close beach operations entirely for a single day if conditions have not improved enough to be safe for staff and the public by a set time as designated by policy, the City Manager or command staff. Section 3 – Roll Call You must be present and prepared mentally and physically prior to the start of your assigned shift. A Supervisor and/or LC will verify your presence. At the start of each shift, the LC and Supervisors will conduct a Roll Call with all Lakefront Staff assigned to that oncoming shift. Roll Calls consist of important information sharing and is the main opportunity to get ALL Lakefront Staff “on the same page” prior to assuming duties. There will also be daily roll call inservice training to better prepare staff for the day ahead. For specifics, see respective manuals (Aquatics Camp, Office Staff, Sailing Staff or Lifeguard Staff). Section 4 - Training It is crucial that all staff practice and maintain the skills needed to perform their job duties. The purpose is to keep all staff ready and prepared for any emergency that may occur and to keep all staff thinking ahead of time about how to handle a variety of situations. If any staff shows incompetency in skill, knowledge or ability to fulfill their job responsibilities, they will be relieved of their role until they are ready and able to do so. See your specific manual for required training. Below is a general list specific to lifeguards. 4.1 Roll call in-service Will include physical conditioning and rescue skills practice and will be conducted daily by a supervisor. All guards and managers will perform this in-service as a group; the roll call in-service will generally consist of physical conditioning. Roll call in-service will be completed every day at roll call by beach managers and lifeguards. 4.2 Daily Beach In-service At each beach, in-services will include emergency drills, role-play situations, rescue skills, CPR practice, and other training on an individual basis. The daily in-service will generally be conducted by the beach managers and or supervisors when checking in on beaches. 4.3 Skills Testing - Mock Drownings Regular live action recognition drills should be conducted, at minimum, every shift as a method to help identify the effectiveness of surveillance and lifeguard responsiveness. It is as important to evaluate surveillance as it is to evaluate skills. This helps the lifeguard and the management team to evaluate how they are doing with surveillance and to identify challenges, performance issues, or areas that need further training. General Information and Guidelines: All lifeguards, regardless of seniority, may be tested at anytime while in the lifeguard stand All drills must be documented using proper forms It is good practice to conduct one drill each day Remember, this is a test to check that the lifeguard is maintaining proper surveillance and responsiveness. The goal is to keep employees “on their toes” and to improve the safety along the lakefront and not to demean lifeguard staff. Whenever possible, supervisory staff should conduct drills and mock drownings to test the actions, knowledge, and abilities of all guards on duty. Drills should not only test the guard in the primary chair, but also those in secondary guarding positions, the ripper, and guards on break. Supervisory staff should do their best to initiate and conduct drills discreetly so that all guards at the beach are being tested. Conducting a drill: 1. Use a stopwatch or another timekeeping device to properly record the time 2. The lifeguards should not be aware of the introduction of a victim into their zone.  3. Suitable victims include a mixture of real people and manikins or silhouettes. 4. Drills conducted by real people should only include current City of Evanston employees. Due to risk management reasons, campers and other patrons should not act as a victim. 5. Real people (victims) may enter the water from the sand. Manikins may be dropped from a boat or dragged into the water from the sand. 6. Managers/Supervisors/LC should observe and evaluate. The supervisory staff observes the drill and records the length of time for the lifeguard to recognize and reach the “victim.” 7. The supervisory staff should consider factors that influenced the outcome and make modifications to the swimming area or provide in-service training to any staff member who was unable to meet the timeline of 30 seconds. 8. The supervisory staff may choose to stop the drill when the lifeguard brings the “victim back to shore” or the manager may conduct a full simulated scenario and activate the EAP response with practice CPR, AED, and rescue breathing techniques. Pass/Fail and Remediation Process: 1st Unsuccessful Live Action Recognition Drill: 1. The lifeguard will be taken off stand. The beach manager/supervisor/instructor on duty will immediately revalidate the area where the mannequin or victim was to ensure the lifeguard was positioned in a place they could see the mannequin or victim. 2. Lifeguard will work with management in the re-validation process as the lifeguard in the stand to confirm the ability to see the mannequin or victim. Assistance in this process will serve as initial remediation. Additionally the lifeguard will receive a written warning and verbal counseling from management. 3. After completion of remediation described above, the lifeguard will begin guarding again. The lifeguard will be re-tested within 5 days of being back on stand. 2nd Unsuccessful Live Action Recognition Drill: 1. The lifeguard will be taken off stand. 2. The lifeguard will attend a 2 hour paid in-service which will include re-education on environmental and physical factors that affect swimming areas, vigilance, and scanning. Retraining should be documented. Lifeguards be challenged to identify and retrieve the mannequin in the following situations: Environmental: ○ Glare ○ Reflection ○ Refraction ○ Turbidity ○ Wave and other water conditions Physical ○ Surface disturbance ○ Multiple guests in the water ○ Tubes/inflatables or other possible obstructions ○ Blind Spots ○ Extreme locations of the swimming area 3. Other items to be reviewed include: The “If You Don’t Know-GO” premise: should one see something that is “not normal” the lifeguard must immediately go get it. Identify other hazards that could be in the water (prohibited vessels entering the swimming area, loose floating objects in the water, rocks, etc.) The 10-20 second protection standard, scanning patterns, proactive bottom scans 4. The lifeguard will shadow-guard for 1 shift so they are able to practice scanning. (They will not serve as the primary lifeguard during this period).  5. The beach manager/supervisor/instructor on duty will conduct an internal audit on the lifeguard to ensure the lifeguard’s scanning meets standards. 6. The lifeguard will begin guarding again. The lifeguard will be re-tested within 5 days of being back on stand. 3rd Unsuccessful Live Action Recognition Drill: The lifeguard will be terminated or moved to a gate attendant position if one is available. Section 5 – Position Expectations Each position comes with its own specific responsibilities and expectations. Please see respective manuals for specifics for each position. Beach Office Manual (Beach Office Staff, Gate Attendants) Lakefront Manual (LCs, Beach Managers, Head Lifeguards, Lifeguards) Aquatics Camp Operations Manual (Director, Assistant Directors, Camp Counselors) Sailing Operations Manual (Sailing Center Director, Assistant Director, Sailing Instructors) Section 6 – Setting up and Opening the Swimming Beaches 6.1 Early Shift Swimming Beach Preparation Check the water and beach area for safety. Survey the beach itself for any hazards that may have formed while closed. Check the sand for debris, deep holes, or suspicious items. Check the swimming area for changes in bathymetry and buoy movement. Make sure all buoys are in the correct positions. Take note of any patrons already there and clear the water of swimmers until the water opens. Check Bathrooms make sure they are unlocked and check for cleanliness. Open Shack and Inventory all equipment, check equipment for damage. It is your responsibility to report any missing or damaged items immediately to the supervisor on duty. The opening Gate Attendant should check all the patrons already on the beach for season/daily passes or sell them tickets. It is the Gate Attendant’s responsibility to notify the Beach Manager of anyone remaining on the beach that has not paid for admission. The opening Gate Attendant will set up the A-Frame sign at the beach entrance, and the closing gate attendant should put the A-Frame sign away in the beach shack at the end of the day. Set up the lifeguard chair(s). Check the chairs for stability and damage. Tie a minimum of three rescue tubes to the primary chair. If a busy day is expected, tie additional tubes to a secondary or tertiary chair. Dig jump-piles in front of all chairs that may be used. Managers: it is your responsibility to ensure that tubes are attached to the chair in a secure, ‘rescue ready’ way. Inspect knots; check frequently the number of tubes, you will need more than one tube for a spinal rescue. Set up a spinal board on the left side of the chair, lying on side, with head pointing towards water and straps buckled underneath the board. Set up a rescue board on the right side of the chair, lying on side, with nose pointing towards water. Bring a megaphone to the chair. Set up umbrellas or canopy in the break area if necessary. 6.2 Setting up the Gate Area Set up chairs. One chair for the ripper should be placed at the opposite end of the gate from the gate attendant bench. Set up a First Aid Box by the ripper chair. All guards should know where it is at all times. Make sure it is stocked and securely closed for quick retrieval in an emergency. 6.3 Open Beach At the correct time, position a primary guard in the chair. Place panels on lifeguard chairs over “NO” on the sign so it reads “Lifeguard on Duty.” Lock shack if necessary. Radio the beach office for a morning radio check, thus announcing you are open. Start a daily log sheet. Make an announcement through a megaphone that the water is open for swimming. Section 7 - During Shift 7.1 Guarding Rotations and Positions Staff will rotate positions every 30 minutes. The rotation will be set by the manager based on how many people are in the water. Note: Do not be late when rotating positions. Be on time. SIX GUARD ROTATION 0 – 20 People In Water 21 – 50 People In 51 – 75 People In Water 76 or More People In Water Water 1 – Chair/ (0 patrons= 2 – Chair 3 – Chair 3 – Chair Rover) 1 – Ripper 1 – Ripper 2– Roving/Board 1 – Ripper 1 – Clean Up 1 – Break 1 – Ripper 1 – Clean Up 1 – Break 1 – In-service 1 – Break 1 – In-Service 2 – In-service FIVE GUARD ROTATION 0 – 30 People In Water 31 – 50 People In 51 – 100 People In Water 101 or More People In Water Water 1 – Chair 2 – Chair 3 – Chair 3 – Chair 1 – Ripper 1 – Ripper 1 – Ripper 1– Roving/Board 1 – Clean Up 1 – Clean Up 1 – Break 1 – Ripper 1 – Break 1 – Break 1 – In-service FOUR GUARD ROTATION 0 – 50 People In Water 51 – 75 People In 76 – 100 101+ Water 1 – Chair 2 – Chair 3 – Chair 3 – Chair 1 – Ripper 1 – Ripper 1 – Ripper 1 – Ripper 1 – Clean Up 1 – Break 1 – Break Request More Guards Request More Guards THREE GUARD ROTATION 0 – 50 People In Water 51 – 75 People In 76 – 100 People In Water Water 1 – Chair 2 – Chair 2 – Chair 2 – Chair 1 – Ripper 1 – Ripper 1 – Ripper 1 – Ripper 1 – Break/Clean up Request more Guards Request more Guards Request more Guards 7.1a Chair The primary lifeguard is responsible for the entire swimming and shoreline area. The primary lifeguard, whether in the chair or roving, should always be standing. 7.1b Rover A roving guard is a mobile shoreline position that wears a lifeguard rescue tube. They are responsible for watching those who enter and exit, especially small children at play near the edge of the water. The guard in this position may also control crowd movement, ensuring that there is always a clear path from the guard chair to the water. With the Beach Manager’s permission, if there are less than ten patrons in the water who are close to shore, the primary guard may rove instead of standing in the chair. 7.1c Rescue Board/Stand up Paddle Board A guard may sit on the Rescue Board with a Rescue Tube in the water, typically East of the swim area, where they are responsible for guarding the deepest section of the swim area and controlling the buoy line. The Rescue Board is never the primary guard’s position. In rare occasions or special events, a guard may be asked to Lifeguard from a Stand Up Paddleboard. The following guidelines must be followed while using a paddleboard for lifeguarding: The paddleboard must have a leash attached to the Guard’s leg. A lifeguard guarding from the paddleboard must have a tube with them.  7.1d In-service This is the position in the rotation in which lifeguards complete their Daily In-Service. Should the rotation not allow an in-service position, it will be completed on a guard's break shift. 7.1e Break The break position is a rest position where guards remain on the beach and rescue ready. Staff must remain in full uniform while on break. Break is the opportunity to get out of the sun and rest, but remain ready to act if needed. Guards are still required to respond to any emergency, as well as “3 whistles” while on break. 7.1f Rescue Duty The fastest swimming and most capable lifeguards will be chosen for Rescue Duty on bad weather days. When the swimming areas are typically closed due to strong waves and strong wind, Dempster Street Sailing beach will be busy with windsurfers out on the lake who are attracted by the strong winds. While only experienced windsurfers should attempt to go out on the lake in these conditions, we have no way of stopping beginners from trying. This leads to rescue situations in which Rescue Duty swimmers will swim from the shore out to the windsurfer, and then swim them back in. The Rescue Duty guards will keep a count of all windsurfers on the lake off of Dempster Street Beach, using binoculars to help them keep an eye out. 7.1g Wading Wading is essentially a roving position but in the water. At times it may be most effective to guard from a wading position, for example, on days when strong lateral currents exist, the wading guard position may be effectively used on the down current side of the swimming area to help prevent people from being dragged out of the swimming area or into a structural current near the breakwall. 7.2 Late Shift Lifeguards Beach Arrival After completing Roll call inservice and any necessary task at the Beach Office, guards and managers will report directly to their assigned beach. Upon arrival, check in with the designated Beach Manager who will assign your position in the rotation. 7.3 Leaving the Beach (Early Shift) 7.3a Guards and Managers After your shift is done, you can check out with the manager and other staff and then go promptly to the beach office. 7.3b Gate positions After the next gate attendant shows up for that position you can check out and return to the beach office to balance out or turn in your forms. Section 8 - Closing the Beach The water will close at 7:30 pm throughout the entire summer. Equipment not locked in the shack should be brought back to the beach office. The beach should be checked for safety hazards, lost items, or concerns at the end of the day. Staff should then report directly to the beach office. 8.1 Closing and Dismissal – Guards and Managers At the end of each shift, all guards will return to the beach office. Equipment should be taken back to the equipment room on the south side of the Dempster Street Beach Office and checked in. Supervisors will assign closing tasks such as cleaning or organization. Guards will then line up for dismissal. Guards will not be dismissed until all staff have arrived back at the beach office. The reason for this includes safety concerns for the staff themselves and in case of a late emergency where we need extra guards to respond. Guards may not leave until dismissed by a supervisor. The ALC and Office Manager must ensure accurate work hours are recorded for all employees. 8.2 Closing and Dismissal – Gate Return promptly to the beach office Early Shifts cannot leave until the next gate attendant arrives. Late shifts leave the beach at 7:15 p.m. Balancing will be done on a first-come first-serve basis. All boxes must accurately balance out. Failure to balance out consistently will lead to termination. Bring Ticket skewers with you when you leave the beach. No Gate Attendant may leave until their box is balanced 8.3 Beach or Water Closure If the beaches are closed due to weather, make an announcement through the megaphone such as: “Attention beach patrons lightning has been detected in the area. For your safety, the water and sand are now closed until conditions become safe. Please exit the beach in a timely manner.” Primary guard must stay in chair until the water is cleared, unless it is unsafe to do so. Primary lifeguard should be left in the chair or roving position until 7:30 PM. If patrons are still in the water, the guard must remain in the chair or roving position until the water has been cleared. At 8:00pm, clear the water of swimmers and notify all patrons that the water is closed by making an announcement through the megaphone. An example of this announcement is: “Attention beach patrons, it is now XX pm and the swimming area is now closed. The sand will remain open until 11:00pm, but swimming is no longer allowed. The water will reopen tomorrow morning at 10:30am. Thank you and have a good night.” Remove lifeguard from chair, take panels off the signs on lifeguard chairs. Radio the beach office that you are closed. Gather all equipment and check it in. If equipment is missing or damaged, report it to a supervisor immediately. Place all equipment in the shack and lock it. Section 9 - LC and Supervisor Daily Tasks Update rainout line with daily information, add descriptions of closures from pre typed descriptions: Closures Water Restrictions Weather Water Test Results Monitor city-band and marine radios Conduct beach rounds at assigned beaches. Conduct all Roll Calls General record keeping Collect and complete all Incident Reports Handle and manage equipment and first aid supplies Respond effectively to concerns and complaints by patrons Always be ready to respond to a situation. Assign roll call and daily in-services and exercises Check in and check out all lifeguard staff Check in equipment and collect log sheets and put in Daily Files box Assist office staff in counting out all day and late shift gate attendants. Check that all radios are in their charging bay – if one is missing nobody leaves until it is found  Make sure everything is ready for the opening shift and complete the overnight report. Check to be sure all windows, doors, and garages are locked including the padlocks on the breezeway and the guardroom. Lock the beach office front door and set the alarm. Section 10 – Responding to Codes Whenever a code has been called in from a beach it is the assigned supervisor’s job to respond. For example: A code called at South Blvd Beach requires only the South Supervisor to respond initially. All other supervisors must remain in their assigned districts until the incident escalates (and their presence is directed by the LC) OR a concurrent issue occurs in that same response district. The LC will assign a supervisor to respond to another issue in the same district. Supervisors must not self-respond out of their district. The LC must monitor the radios and relay all information while the others get to the scene with appropriate vehicles/boats as directed by the LC.