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Encouraging beach safety along Lake Michigan
As access is reduced and lifeguards become a scarce commodity, keeping people informed and educated on the waterfront becomes even more challenging. A group of beach ambassadors is working to fix that.
MILWAUKEE - As access is reduced and lifeguards become a scarce commodity, keeping people informed and educated on the waterfront becomes even more challenging. A group of beach ambassadors is working to fix that.
For many people, Milwaukee’s beaches are a place to relax and cool off, but for some, they're classrooms.
"Basically just teaching the public on how to be safe, especially since the drowning’s of last year," said Jumana Tanner, beach ambassador.
"Access resources so that when they come down, even with a lack of lifeguards, they can be safe and feel comfortable at the beach," said Teresa Coronado, beach ambassador.
As a means of helping to keep people educated and safe on the waterfront, beach ambassadors patrolling the area between McKinley Beach and the north end of Bradford Beach.
"Every day is a new experience," said Tanner. "The interactions with people, some of them are great. Some of them are short and sweet, and honestly, talking with the public is the most important part of keeping everyone else safe."
Equally as important as knowing what they are is knowing what they aren’t.
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"They kind of got a crash course in all of those dynamics, and how they might impact a beachgoer on any given day," said Eric Gietzen, beach ambassador instructor. "They are not trained to be lifeguards. They’re not trained to rescue people in the water. They’re trained to educate, to welcome and to introduce people to this awesome resource that we have."