Lifeguard training bill filed to bolster ranks of safety personnel

Rep. José Pérez Cordero

By THE STAR STAFF

With the goal of training people to save lives in cases of possible drownings, Rep. José “Che” Pérez Cordero, who chairs the Judiciary Committee in the upper chamber, on Thursday announced the filing of House Bill 1040, which creates the new “Puerto Rico Public Servants Training as Lifeguards Act” to train all government personnel willing to be certified as lifeguards or aquatic rescuers.

The initiative arises to support the efforts of the Department of Natural and Environmental Resources (DNER) to prevent drownings along the some 799 miles of coastline in Puerto Rico.

“The National Parks program, attached to the DNER, currently has a roster of fewer than 30 lifeguards, and most of them are stationed at the four beaches managed by the agency,” the at-large lawmaker said. “Furthermore, extreme weather events and unusual storm surges, resulting from climate change, exacerbate the risks, affecting both the local population and tourism, which constitutes a vital part of Puerto Rico’s economy. This bill addresses a particular situation with a real and implementable short-term solution.”

Pérez Cordero went on to stress the necessity of creating “a structured and permanent training program for public servants, enabling willing personnel from all agencies to be trained as certified lifeguards.”

“This program will not only promote tragedy prevention but will also develop a pool of skilled public servants who can be activated in national emergencies -- extreme weather events, natural disasters, or during the months of highest tourist flow, in accordance with the public policy established by the Government,” the legislator added.

The measure, filed on Jan. 13, also establishes that the Office of Management and Budget will identify and allocate the necessary funds for the initial implementation of the program, and must include recurring items.