A peak at what is going on at Southern Maryland Beaches!

From Guest Blogger - George Kahl

Hello everyone, this is George Kahl, just about to complete my first “classified” year with the Maryland Park Service, and I am the new Beach Manager down here at Point Lookout State. Welcome to the special column to the Training Blog written by various lifeguards from across the State. This week we have my guards from Point Lookout.  Over the past couple weeks of working with these guys, I am impressed with how well they work together and the relationship they have built as a team.

I would just like to share a little about our Beachfront Operations for those of you who have not made it down to our little piece of paradise at the southern tip of the western shore of the Chesapeake Bay. We have a smaller guarded area than most Parks throughout the State with just three stands, about 600 feet of guarded beachfront, and a smaller crew of guards (currently just six on staff). We see most of our day use visitors on weekends during the summer with a huge drop in beach visitors during the week (just about nonexistent). But, this does not stop our weekend campers from swimming as they head to our pet beach area which is now equipped with rescue station and now designated as a non-fishing area.

We are still working hard on organizing our newly renovated Lifeguard Station as our entire bathhouse, which houses the Lifeguard Station, was renovated this winter. It’s been a bit of a rough go organizing the Lifeguard Station as the contractor ran late due to extreme cold this winter preventing certain work from occurring that was weather/temperature dependent. We were hoping to have most of our work completed before the 4^thof July weekend was upon us.

We would like to invite you all down to visit our new facilities, including a new Beach Store and Nature Nook near our beach house, brand new exhibits in our Nature Center/Museum, and a revamped Park Store, if the time allows. We look forward to seeing everyone at the Lifeguard Competition (a huge thanks to Rocky Gap for hosting and providing tent spaces this year), and wish everyone a safe summer!

Point Lookout is a wonderful place to work. It sits on a point where the Potomac River meets the Chesapeake Bay and on clear days you can see across the river to Virginia. There is a plethora of spiritual activity at Point Lookout. During the day there is a bevy of baptisms, there is even a designated baptism beach. At night, these good vibes are juxtaposed with the ghosts of Point Lookout's past. The ghosts are scary.

2014 Lifeguard Staff at Point Lookout State Park

The lifeguards for the 2014 summer are Jarrett Mills (4^th year), Robert Bishop (2^nd year) returning rookie of the year, Will Ironmonger (Rookie), Derek Willis (Rookie), Conor Smith (Rookie), and Kyle Wilson (Rookie).  There is stiff competition this year for the prestigious honor of rookie of the year at Point Lookout State Park. The considerations taken by the Senior Lifeguard Society (SLS) are as follows:

a.      Number of rescues made during the summer

b.     Number of assists made throughout the season

c.      Amount of first aid preformed on patrons

d.     Most effective surveillance

e.      Most graceful beach jog

f.      Fastest mile running

g.     Fastest 500 meter swim

h.     Best at cleaning the grills

i.       Quickest chair set up and take down

j.       Best rescue boarder

From Guest Blogger - Cineva Kline

Now let’s travel up the Chesapeake Bay, 80 miles north of Point Lookout State Park, to check out the Beach Operations at Sandy Point State Park led by Ranger Alison Woodfield.  This is only her second summer as the Beach Ranger but she is already a seasoned Pro!  Yesterday I made Sandy Point the fifth stop on my quest to take a dip in every designated swimming area in Maryland State Parks. Last summer, I had the opportunity to work alongside Ranger Woodfield and her Lifeguard staff at Sandy Point over the Fourth of July weekend and got firsthand experience of how BUSY their Operations can be. 

Summer at Sandy Point State Park brings thousands of visitors each weekend with one destination in mind… the beach. The park’s mile and a half of beachfront is a destination for people residing in the DC/Baltimore metro area and beyond. The high demand for a spot on the sand and in the water has caused the park to make major changes to their beach operation in the last 12 months. Twenty lifeguards now patrol the area seven days a week. Weekend guarded areas extend 12 hours a day from 8am-8pm. Last year’s six lifeguard stands have now been replaced by eight brand new stands that allow them to guard 1600 ft. of waterfront.

There is never a dull moment at Sandy Point. Thousands of visitors mean many challenges. Lifeguards are given extensive orientation before the season and continued skills and personal training during the season. And, between guarding the beach and manning the first aid station, guards spend the day roving the park’s areas of unguarded beach. Often, rovers take the time to educate visitors about water safety. Our youngest beach goers enjoy lessons from the lifeguards.

Lifeguards enjoy working at Sandy Point, and this year nine guards returned from the previous summer. One returner, Micaela Frye states, “I love working at Sandy Point because there is so much going on. I like to help people and work outside”. During the summer months at the park, there is never a dull day. Things are always going on and the team of twenty guards works together as peers, friends and coworkers to make the beach as safe as possible.

Sandy Point State Park hosted the 2013 Maryland Park Service Lifeguard Competition and return as the reigning champions going into this year’s competition at Rocky Gap on August 5, 2014. 

Special thanks to Ranger Kahl and the Point Lookout lifeguards as well as Ranger Woodfield and the Sandy Point lifeguards for their contributions to this week’s Training Blog!  Stay tuned for the next blog which will feature the Eastern Region’s beach, Assateague State Park, and Central Region’s beach, Gunpowder Falls State Park.  


A change in bloggers once again -Robin Melton now blogging

Many of our waterfront parks offer programs where they teach our youngest visitors how to be safe around the water.  Our lifeguards are often the interpreters for these activities in addition to their normal duties as guards.  For the comments in this blog we invite our waterfront beach managers/lifeguards to share the many activities that they offer on their beaches that emphasize waterfront safety!  Just to give you a little more incentive the park that shares the most activities  related to water safety will get a surprise added to their waterfront operation.

Many of you carry throw bags in your vehicles, this is a good piece of rescue equipment to have anytime you work around a body of water.  It is a piece of equipment you should practice with every- so- often - so as a refresher on how to use a throw bag, I have included this short video.