Only 43 of the 79 lifeguard positions approved for the Limassol District have been filled, while only 26 of the 16 lifeguard towers are operational, the Deputy Limassol District Governor, Electra Panayiotou, told CNA, expressing her concern over the understaffing observed during this summer season.
As Ms. Panagiotou told CNA, despite the fact that the number of required lifeguard medals was reduced from 4 to 3, there is not a corresponding response, as a result of which not all of Limassol's lifeguard towers can be staffed.
Today, he continued, 44 lifeguards are employed, one of whom is their manager and the remaining 43 staff the 16 out of the 26 lifeguard towers. A total of 11 permanent lifeguards work during the winter months, until March, at specific towers, from 7:00 to 14:30. From April, this number increases to 41, in May to 55 and in the summer months to 74, while a total of 79 positions were approved for this year.
"The situation is not so tragic when there is a second staffed tower in each area," he said, emphasizing that a particular problem occurs on Governor's Coast "where we have not managed to operate a single lifeguard tower."
In fact, he continued, for this purpose, a screening process for potential lifeguards was scheduled for Monday, but no candidates came forward. However, he added, three people have expressed interest, who will be called soon, after submitting the necessary documents, to be screened and, if hired, will staff the Governor's Beach lifeguard tower.
According to Ms. Panagiotou, the British Bases have already requested that the second lifeguard tower at Ladies Mile be staffed, as for the entire 5-kilometer coastline, so far, only one lifeguard tower is operating.
The Deputy District Governor of Limassol attributed the lack of interest to various factors, including Brexit, as the number of students in Britain, who returned to Cyprus earlier than in other countries, and expressed interest in a lifeguard position, decreased.
He also added that many people choose to work in hotel swimming pools, with more benefits and fewer supervision responsibilities, while he also referred to the peculiarity of the regulations of the Cyprus Lifeguard Federation. As he explained, the duration of lifeguard medals is two years, as a result, if the period of time passes and someone does not advance to the next medal, they will have to start from the beginning.
At the same time, the District Administration is called upon to address the problem of the inability to staff specific lifeguard towers at times chosen by many morning swimmers. As Ms. Panagiotou said, although the summer operating hours of the lifeguard towers are 10:30 to 18:00, on Olympia Beach and Kourion Beach, lifeguard towers should operate from 6:30, however, this option does not yet exist, due to understaffing.
"We have a real problem and despite our efforts, unfortunately we cannot meet the needs," added the Deputy District Governor of Limassol.
Source: KYPE
