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Union members pan uniforms
Lifeguard shorts pass 'scientific test'
by Robb Fulcher
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Los Angeles County Lifeguard Bill White wears the new Izod jacket with thenew, retro lifeguard emblem, and the old Speedo shorts with the modern lifeguard emblem while working at 10th Street in Hermosa this week. Photo by Kevin Cody |
A special committee has been formed to review the new Los Angeles County lifeguard uniforms, following complaints about the look of the clothing and the prominence of the manufacturer's logo, and claims that the shorts are clumsy in the water.
Lifeguard management subjected the new shorts to "scientific testing" on Monday and found "no appreciable difference" between the new ones and the old ones in timed trials held at a swimming pool, said Randy DeGregori, the county's chief lifeguard.
"That information will be provided to the union, which already knows about it, and to the committee," DeGregori said.
Some lifeguards have complained that the pockets of the new shorts, made by Izod, do not drain properly, and could slow down an ocean rescue. This Izod shorts recently replaced a somewhat sleeker version made by Speedo.
Randy DeGregori put the Izods and the Speedos through another test on dry land.
"I put them on a postage scale and one pair weighed 8.85 ounces and the other weighed 7.45 ounces. So there's about a one-ounce difference. I don't think an ounce is going to matter very much. If you run around the block you lose an ounce," he said.
DeGregori said he doubts that the shorts' performance is the real question among lifeguards.
"I think that complaint is bogus. I think the real issue is that some of the employees don't like the look, and the union is representing them," he said.
Some members of the 670-strong Los Angeles County Lifeguard Association have complained that the darker, duller red of the Izod shorts makes a lifeguard look like any other beachgoer, while the bright, "Baywatch"-style Speedos allowed the beachgoer in need to pick out a lifeguard at a glance.
The Izod logo on the uniform jackets has drawn criticism for being noticeably larger than the Speedo one. Izod has not yet released the new suits for the women lifeguards.
Izod became the lifeguards' supplier when it agreed to provide free uniforms for seven years, at a cost of about $3.2 million, and bought the right to call itself the "official swimwear sponsor of the Los Angeles County beach lifeguards."
The deal, formally approved by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors on July 5, marks the largest corporate sponsorship agreement for the county Fire Department, which includes the lifeguard division. The second largest is a six-year, $1.5 million deal with Nissan Corporation, which sponsors the beach patrol vehicles.
"I've been a lifeguard since 1964 and I've seen different trunks from different manufacturers," DeGregori said. "I'm quite surprised at the turn of events, at the things that have become issues."
Nevertheless, the special uniform committee - made up of Assistant Chief Lifeguard Russ Walker, members of the union and of the rank-and-file - will meet and perhaps recommend changes.
"The plan is for the uniform committee to meet weekly, and get feedback," DeGregori said. "We'll work with the manufacturer to get the best product possible."
Rank and file lifeguards have been advised to keep mum if approached on the uniform issue by reporters, and a few phone calls were met with a uniform silence.
But at least one lifeguard was bemused by all the attention to his shorts.
"We've been getting a lot of calls about that, it must be a slow news day. I've got nothing negative to say so it probably wouldn't make a very good story," the lifeguard said.
"I'll wear whatever they pay me to wear," he said. "They pay me a good salary to be at the beach." ER