Public Employee Press

Lifeguard locals battle new beach hazards
Bikinis and Bulldozers?



By DIANE S. WILLIAMS

Rockaway beachgoers and Lifeguards face bulldozers racing across the beach and a steep, uphill climb before reaching the brisk Atlantic Ocean this summer because the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has built berms - long sand hills 18-20 feet high - and installed a huge iron dredge pipe large enough for a child to stand in for miles along the shoreline.

"This public beach became an unsafe construction zone," said Peter Stein, president of Lifeguard Supervisors Local 508.

After evaluating the conditions, the city Dept. of Health took action to protect beachgoers and Lifeguards and issued an order Saturday, June 28, to temporarily close the Queens beaches from 70th to 113th Streets.

"To bring a drowning victim to emergency care, Lifeguards had to scale the berm with rescue equipment and climb over the dredge pipe," Stein said. "This was ridiculously unsafe. When someone is not breathing, time can make the difference between life and death."

Obstacle course

As the construction proceeded, the Health Dept. had issued a permit that allowed the Parks Dept. to open the beach on Memorial Day weekend. But after inspecting the area and meeting with the union, DOH saw the need to close the beach for public safety.

With limited visibility, no access for emergency rescue vehicles and limited or nonexistent entry and exits, DC 37 had raised serious safety issues: The ongoing construction and bulldozers crisscrossing open swimming areas hindered Lifeguards' ability to perform their duties and save lives - a monumental safety hazard to the public.

"It was like Super Mario Brothers out there," Stein said. But for the 1,400-strong rescue corps - City Lifeguards in Local 461 and their Supervisors in Local 508 - this was no game.

For several weeks, oversized bulldozers with huge sections of iron pipe in their claws and heavy duty trucks whizzed up and down the beach, kicking up clouds of sand and dust as families, sun worshippers and surfers tried to enjoy the shore. The trucks, pipe and sand berm transformed Rockaway's once flat beachscape into a giant obstacle course.

The shoreline cannot be seen from the Lifeguard stations, the back of the beach or the temporary ramps. In addition, erected along one side of Shorefront Parkway are double-row spans of 16-foot-high chain link fences, penning in once open parkland.

The project is an attempt by the Federal Emergency Management Agency to protect New York City's coastal communities from another storm-surge wipeout like they experienced in 2012 during Superstorm Sandy. It should have been done before beach season, said Stein. At first, the Parks Dept. had failed to consult with or inform DC 37 or the Lifeguard locals about the construction project. After meeting with the Health Dept.'s deputy commissioner for environmental health, DC 37 Research and Negotiations Director Evelyn Seinfeld put the union's concerns on record May 30 in letters to the city and the state health commissioners.

She warned that the construction constituted a "potentially serious threat to public safety" and explained that the berms' height and steep pitch block sightlines the Lifeguards rely on and impede their ability to respond quickly, transport lifesaving equipment and rescue and carry swimmers and beachgoers in trouble to safety inland.

DC 37 Executive Director Lillian Roberts raised the beach safety issue in a meeting with the city health commissioner, and Seinfeld and Associate Director Henry Garrido visited Rockaway Beach with Stein to see the conditions firsthand.

"We are deeply concerned for the safety of beach goers and for the members we represent," said Garrido. "We are pushing federal and local elected officials to do the right thing and end this very hazardous situation."

After discussions with the union, the Parks Dept. began working to remedy the hazardous conditions, DC 37 leaders said. As PEP went to press, the union was informed that the dredge pipe is being removed, emergency access and exit points are being created in the berms, and safety mats are being installed to allow easier passage.

"We want the beaches open, but safety is our top concern. Areas with active construction should be temporarily closed," Stein said. "Our job is to keep beachgoers and our members safe, and we take our responsibility seriously."