Cape Cod National Seashore will once again offer its Junior Lifeguard Program for boys and girls ages 13 to 17 this summer. The purpose of the program is to promote water safety and provide job-specific training on Cape Cod by reaching out to area youth. Many past junior lifeguards currently work as ocean lifeguards for the seashore and several towns on Cape Cod.

Participants in the Junior Lifeguard Program will be instructed by National Park Service lifeguards in CPR, first aid, and lifeguard training. Approximately 20 applicants will be selected for the program. Those participants who will be 15 years old or older before the end of the program, and who satisfactorily complete all requirements, will receive American Red Cross certifications in the training areas. In addition, participants will be trained in ocean lifeguard operations.

The program begins on Monday, July 7th, and runs through Monday, August 11th. Participants meet at Marconi Beach on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday each week, from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Participation is free, but contingent upon satisfactory completion, on the first day of the program, of a 1/3-mile open ocean swim followed immediately by a 1/2 mile run. Water temperatures at Marconi Beach are usually around 60 degrees Fahrenheit in early July, and the use of wetsuits will not be allowed for the initial swim-run.

Participants will learn about a range of interesting topics beyond formal lifeguard training. One session is taught by National Park Service wildland firefighters. Participants are taught various aspects of prescribed fire, the effects of fire on the landscape, and are instructed in the use of fire extinguishers. If scheduling permits other sessions may be conducted by the United States Coast Guard at the Coast Guard Station in Provincetown, and National Park Service law enforcement rangers at Marconi Beach.

The Junior Lifeguard Program includes arduous physical activity, occasionally in high surf conditions. Participants may swim in rip currents and complete beach runs of up to five miles.

All applicants must contact Gordon Miller, North District Head Lifeguard, at (508) 487-2100 ext. 0923 or through email at [email protected] to schedule a pre-course interview and register for the program.