|
New
Lifeguard
Headquarters
and
Beach
Safety
Center
In
1964,
Chief
Lifeguard
Gardner
Stevens
built
Del
Mar's
first
lifeguard
tower
on
the
beach
at
17
th
Street
,
with
his
own
hands
and
the
help
of
his
friend
Del
Mar
Fire
Chief
Jim
Baker.
The
tower
housed
two
lifeguards
and
acted
as
headquarters
for
the
beach's
lifeguarding
and
first
aid
services.
|
Looking
into
the
first
aid
room |
In
the
past
44
years,
the
lifeguard
department
has
grown
and
taken
on
more
responsibility
as
needs
have
escalated.
Today
the
Community
Services/Lifeguard
Department
handles
an
expanded
range
of
community
functions
serving
the
town
of
Del
Mar
and
its
two
million
annual
beach
visitors.
From
2007-2008,
the
lifeguard
department
maintained
its
perfect
record
of
no
drownings
and
executed
approximately
14,000
water
contacts,
1,648
rescues,
1,376
medical
aids
and
282
lost
children
found.
These
statistics
represent
an
increase
of
more
than
10%
from
the
previous
year.
Additionally,
the
Junior
Lifeguard
Program
grows
every
year
and
in
2008
the
program
attracted
1,100
participants.
After
more
than
four
decades,
the
current
Lifeguard
Tower
and
public
restrooms
are
in
irreparable
condition
and
have
created
a
glaring
health
and
safety
issue
for
Del
Mar.
Large
structural
cracks
are
evident
throughout
the
lifeguard
tower.
First
aid
services
are
provided
in
an
outdated
and
cramped
room
which
is
also
used
for
meetings
and
other
administrative
functions.
The
shower
and
locker
area
is
used
by
both
male
and
female
staff,
and
the
bathroom
is
not
ADA
compliant.
A
ladder
provides
the
only
access
to
the
second
floor;
administrative
staff
is
housed
upstairs
and
the
public
must
access
the
second
floor
to
pay
citations.
Lifeguard
staff
often
train
in
the
cramped
one-car
garage
and
also
in
the
driveway.
Staff
maximizes
storage
of
various
items
in
the
garage
including
a
rescue
boat
and
beach
wheelchairs,
with
spillover
storage
contained
in
two
temporary
shelters
adjacent
to
the
tower.
An
impacted
parking
area
makes
passage
by
emergency
vehicles
difficult
during
summer
months.
Lack
of
a
protective
seawall
often
results
in
sand
being
pushed
up
to
the
building
and
may
obstruct
entrance
into
the
first
aid
room.
During
the
winter
months,
it
is
not
uncommon
for
the
building
to
experience
flooding,
and
also
for
sand
to
wash
away,
creating
a
drop-off
from
the
site
of
the
building
to
the
beach.
When
this
happens,
construction
equipment
must
be
brought
in
to
push
up
the
level
of
the
sand
to
the
site
providing
a
ramp
for
rescue
vehicles
to
safely
access
the
beach.
The
Friends
of
the
Powerhouse
(The
Friends)
is
committed
to
raising
funds
for
construction
of
the
new
Beach
Safety
Center
and
Lifeguard
Headquarters
to
serve
increasing
local
needs
and
the
needs
of
the
escalating
number
of
visitors
to
our
beach,
and
to
support
the
Lifeguards
in
maintaining
their
clean
safety
record.
Fundraising
activities
executed
by
The
Friends
include
local
events
such
as
the
annual
Valentine
Dance
and “Power
to
the
Tower” summer
event
(
En
Fuego
and
July
30)
,
applications
for
grants
to
various
state,
county
and
local
groups,
and
appeals
to
local
residents. To
make
a
donation
for
the
new
Beach
Safety
Center
and
Lifeguard
Headquarters,
click here.
 |
Lack of
a
protective sea wall creates dangerous
conditions
during
the
winter months. Sand
is
washed
away
creating
a
drop
off from
the
site
to
the
beach. Construction
equipment
must
be
brought
in
to
push
up
sand
to
the
level
of
the
site
providing
a
ramp
for
rescue
vehicles
to
safely
access
the
beach. |
 |
Lack
of
a
protective
sea
wall
often
results
in
sand
being
pushed
up
to
the
building
and
may
obstruct
entrance
into
the
first
aid
room
(blue
door). It
is
not
uncommon
for
the
building
to
experience
flooding
during
the
winter
storms. |
 |
Large
structual
cracks
are
evident
throughout
the
building. |
 |
The
garage
provides
space
to
park
one
vehicle. A
wooden
shed
provides
additional
space
for
storage
of
rescue
equipment. |
 |
Employees
maximize
efficient
use
of
limited
storage
space
in
the
garage. Lifeguard
staff
often
conduct
training
in
this
cramped
space
and
sometimes
outside
in
the
driveway. |
 |
The
first
aid
room
is
outdated
and
small. the
room
also
serves
as
an
entryway
and
meeting
room. The
adjacent
bathroom
is
not
ADA
accessible. |
 |
This
ladder
provides
the
only
means
to
access
the
second
floor. Staff
and
administrative
offices
are
upstairs. The
public
must
also
go
upstairs
to
pay
citations. |
 |
Male
and
female
staff
share
one
shower
and
locker
room. |
 |
Employees
work
in
a
cramped
office
often
sharing
desk
space. |
 |
Jon
Edelbrock,
Liza
Rogers,
and
Pat
Vergne |
ft
back
to
top
view
from
parking
lot
view
from
beach
back
to
top
 |
Lifeguards,
Blaze
Syka
and
Melanie
Grindle,
checking
out
one
of
the beach
wheelchairs |
| In
the
summers
of
2004
and
2005,
the
Friends
of
the
Powerhouse
funded
beach-ready
wheelchairs
to
insure
access
to
the
Del
Mar
beach
for
all
visitors.
The
Del
Mar
Lifeguard
Department
is
one
of
the few agencies
in
San
Diego
County
that
offers
this
service
to
the
public.
The
wheelchairs
can
be
found
at
the
lifeguard
towers
at
17th
and
25th
Streets
and
are
available
on
a
first-come
first-serve
basis. |
In
Spring
2008,
the
Friends
of
the
Powerhouse
sponsored
the
purchase
of
Del
Mar’s
first
outrigger
canoe.
Under
the
direction
of
Deputy
Lifeguard
Chief
Mark
Rathsam,
the
Lifeguard
Department
has
started
the
Del
Mar
Outrigger
Canoe
Club
and
is
encouraging
members
of
the
community
to
become
involved.
The
purpose
of
the
club
is
to
become
proficient
in
handling
the
canoe
and
train
as
a
team,
as
the
Lifeguard
Department
looks
to
adding
more
canoes
to
its
ranks
and
to
racing
against
other
local
outrigger
clubs. “This
is
a
fun
way
to
get
to
know
your
neighbors
and
get
a
good
work-out
at
the
same
time,” said
Rathsam.
Del
Mar
Mayor
Crystal
Crawford
joins
Deputy
Lifeguard
Chief
Mark
Rathsam
and
Del
Mar
Lifeguards
for
an
outing
in
Del
Mar’s
first
outrigger
canoe.
 |
In
2003
the
Friends
of
the
Powerhouse
donated
a
surf
rescue
boat
to
the
Del
Mar
Lifeguard
Department. |
video:
a
save
with
the
rescue
boat,
september
23,
2006
| The
Friends
of
the
Powerhouse
funded
the
purchase
of
an
Arancia
Rescue
boat
in
2003.
The
Del
Mar
Lifeguard
Department is
one
of
the
few
lifeguard
agencies
in
the
United
States
that
uses
these
custom
ed
rescue
boats
to
perform
surf
rescues.
On
average,
Del
Mar lifeguards
perform
1200
rescues
per
year
of
which
200 to 300
are
performed
using
these
boats. |
Spearheaded
by
Barbara
Harper,
a
group
of
citizens
formed
the
Powerhouse
Restoration
Committee
which
is
now
called
the
Friends
of
the
Powerhouse
to
raise
money
to
restore
the
powerhouse
to
be
used
as
a
community
center.
The
Powerhouse
Restoration
Kickoff
was
held
on
Sunday,
October
5,
1997
and
the
birth
of
the
slogan “Meet us at the Powerhouse” began.
The
group
set
to
work
selling
bricks
and
hosting
an
annual
Valentine
Dance
event.
The
first
check
presented
to
the
city
was
for
$350,000
in
August
of
1999.
The
grand
opening
was
on
December
4th,
1999
and
grand
it
was.
Thanks
to
the
generosity
of
the
area
residents
and
businesses
over
$450,000
was
donated.
To
view
a
video
from
the
opening
of
the
Powerhouse
Community
Center
in
1999
click here.
You
will
need
a
RealPlayer
to
watch
this
video. Click here for
a
free
download
of
the
RealPlayer.
|
/webscan0018.gif) |
December 4, 1999 |
/webscan0019.gif) |
The stack undergoing restoration |
/webscan0020.gif) |
Hand-painted tiles at the entrance to the bathrooms |
/webscan0021.gif) |
A group project - painting tiles for the bathroom area |
/webscan0022.gif) |
Friends
of
the
Powerhouse
Founding
President
Barbara
Harper
at
the
opening
of
the
new
Powerhouse
Community
Center |
 |
Tansia
Trejo |
To make a donation for the Powerhouse, click here.
|
Join
the
Friends
of
the
Powerhouse
at
their
monthly
meeting
and
get
involved
in
your
community.
Newcomers
are
welcome.
Meetings
take
place
monthly:
• The
third
Wednesday
of
the
month
(September
through
June)
• 9:00AM
at
Jake's
(1660
Coast
Boulevard
next
to
the
Powerhouse
Community
Center). |
|
© 2000-2009
Friends
of
the
Powerhouse,
Del
Mar,
California. All
rights
reserved.
|
|
