The Harvey Cedars Beach Patrol Life Guard In Training Program began in 2001 with 20 children and has grown into an amazingly successful program that trains over 100 participants each summer fro Harvey Cedars and neighboring towns.
The LIT program stresses overall physical fitness, water safety skills, sportsmanship, positive self-esteem and good listening skills. LIT’s learn to respect the power of the ocean and are taught first aid for incidents that happen on the beach. In an educational, yet fun environment, each LIT learns how to successfully use much of the same equipment that the professional lifeguards use for training and actual rescues that specifically happen on the beach, such as how to use a spine board and collar a victim with a neck injury. The LIT’s are trained and supervised by Harvey Cedar’s professional life guards-many of who have been HC guards for years.
Competitions are not the program’s primary focus, but many LIT’s are excited to have to opportunity to test their skills against their LIT counterparts from other island towns in LIT tournaments held in HC and other towns during the summer season.
The LIT instructors strive to make the program an enjoyable day at the beach for all and they hope that the ‘graduating’ LIT’s will stay and work as lifeguards on our beaches.
The program admits children ages 10-15 as long as they have the ability to swim in the ocean and are physically fit. The child must be able to perform basic exercise and run a short distance in the sand. Task must be performed to a standard that instructors can accomplish program goals. Registration forms must be completed by an adult and submitted to Borough Hall with the $100.00 fee. Check: Payable to the Borough of Harvey Cedars. 2012 LIT dates are from July 2 thru August 10th. Children ages 10-12 meet on Tuesday, Thursday, Friday from 9-11am. Children ages 13-15 meet on Monday, Wednesday, Friday from 9-11am. All meet at the Salem Ave Beach in HC. To download the registration forms, please visit the LIT website at LIT@harveycedars.org.