https://www.facebook.com/123863270994863/

Save Ogunquit Ocean Rescue, Beach Street, Ogunquit, ME (2026)

10/13/2021

𝐓𝐨 𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐜: There is a select board meeting 𝐭𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐚𝐭 𝟔:𝟎𝟎 𝐩𝐦 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐮𝐧𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐂𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫 (in person) and via Zoom (if you want to stay at home). Please continue to pay attention to what town officials and the interim town manager are saying and doing. For the zoom link please go to the bottom of this post.

When we started this page our number one goal was accountability for underhanded conduct that upended the lifeguard service. Subsequently we have learned that some select board members were involved in removing the former lifeguard Captain in addition to other employees and even citizens who volunteer with town committees. Since transparency is unlikely to be forthcoming anytime soon from those in power, we are pivoting to pursue accountability using other avenues. Some will be announced at the meeting this evening.

Events of the last 5 months have come into focus with the formal acknowledgment that the interim town manager is seeking the permanent job. By agreeing to accept select board interference in administration, the interim town manager likely got a leg up on other candidates. This dynamic creates dysfunctional government where conflicts of interest abound and checks and balances don’t exist.

This may be the case for the next 2-3 years in Ogunquit. Services and employee morale are already suffering with dire consequences. While the interim town manager and fire chief/lifeguard Captain were trying to garner positive publicity in Perkins cove and enjoying time at home, the beach was unguarded for two straight weekends of good weather after Labor Day. That is the first time in at least 20 years coverage wasn’t provided under those circumstances. As a result two rescues one week apart had to be made by former lifeguards fortunate to be at the right place at the right time.

If they hadn’t been there who would have accepted responsibility for a tragedy? Why wasn’t the new lifeguard Captain present at the beach in September, or in late August when a near drowning occurred near the bridge with a patron saving the victim? The former fire chief of Wells used to regularly make patrols late in the season as staff dwindled. But in Ogunquit the appointed lifeguard Captain is no where to be found. Those who supported naming someone unqualified to the Lifeguard Captain position either don’t take ocean rescue seriously, could care less, or both. Public service has been replaced by personal and financial ambition.

We’ll keep asking questions and digging for answers in the months ahead. In the mean time stay tuned for how you can help stop the dismantling of Ogunquit’s community.

Connecting by computer or mobile device: Register in advance or at the time of the meeting:

https://ogunquitpd-org.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_KeqPns1IQkuTDU5fmy5auQ

After registering, you will receive a confirmation e-mail with information to join the meeting.

09/28/2021

𝐓𝐨 𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐜: The issues we’ve been discussing are far from over. There is a select board meeting 𝐭𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐚𝐭 𝟔:𝟎𝟎 𝐩𝐦 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐮𝐧𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐂𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫 (in person) and via Zoom (if you want to stay at home). Please share and spread the word. You can email the select board at [email protected]. For the zoom link please go to the bottom of this post. There will be another meeting next Tuesday as well.

Last Sunday September 26th would have been the last day of Lifeguard coverage if precedent of providing services on nice days in September been followed. Despite great weather and people in the water especially on the weekends, there has been no formal coverage after Labor Day for the first time in at least 20-30 years. In that time there were at least two serious water incidents that we are aware of on September 12th and September 19th. In both cases former lifeguards who happened to be there made the rescues.

Why is the town office diminishing services the town provides? Is the select board aware or encouraging this? The new Lifeguard Captain/Fire Chief makes close to $60/hour when you include benefits, but could not be found on the beach even with a staff shortage late Summer. He willingly took the job of the former 20-year captain ($24/hour) who with other former veterans routinely provided coverage and a presence well into September that the paying public appreciated and deserved.

Now the new Lifeguard Captain and interim town manager want $15,000 to pay someone else to train the lifeguards in 2022 and beyond. Let’s recap. They abruptly upended the lifeguard service for no discernible reason other than the interim town managers anger, named a new Lifeguard Captain who has never been a lifeguard and is adverse to open water, he doesn’t help provide beach coverage even when short staffed, and he gets paid $60/hour to ask for an additional $15,000 to outsource lifeguard training to god knows who next year. For 96 years training has been done in house by experienced staff at no extra cost, not paid consultants who don’t know Ogunquit beach.

Other services are being scaled back as well, and the morale of staff and quality of services is seemingly not a part of the town office’s calculations. An interim town manager and HR consultant (who’s position never went out to bid) are making these changes while both earn on the order of $70/hour. In the end it’s the public, the towns reputation, and visitors to Ogunquit who suffer the consequences.

Please keep paying attention to what is going on. More information will be forthcoming in the weeks and months ahead.

Connecting by computer or mobile device: Register in advance or at the time of the meeting.

https://ogunquitpd-org.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_KeqPns1IQkuTDU5fmy5auQ

After registering, you will receive a confirmation e-mail with information to join the meeting.

Picture of new sign installed in 2021 that greets Ogunquit’s citizens and guests.

09/14/2021

𝐓𝐨 𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐜: There is a select board meeting 𝐭𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐚𝐭 𝟔:𝟎𝟎 𝐩𝐦 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐮𝐧𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐂𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫 (in person) and via Zoom (if you want to stay at home). Please share and spread the word. If you wish to speak on an issue not on the agenda such as the town exiling veteran lifeguards, avoiding any discussion about what happened, and not listening to the community, public input will be at the end of the meeting. You can also continue to email the select board at [email protected]. For the zoom link please go to the bottom of this post.

We have only scratched the surface on what happened this Summer and more information is coming to light as time passes.

To recap the issue, on June 28th the former lifeguard captain was abruptly demoted and then dismissed the next day by the interim town manager for what one could describe as vindictive reasons. The decision came on the heels of a month long wait to discuss pay raises that were both budgeted for and weeks beyond the normal time they would be implemented for lifeguards who have a short season. When the former captain did not accept the abrupt demotion, the interim town manager immediately went searching for justification he could give to the select board for his move. After talking with the HR consultant and a couple of others, he created a story to convince select board members to change the agenda the following day to appoint the Fire Chief the new Lifeguard Captain without notice or vetting. His reasoning was so contrived and that the interim town manager never even brought it up with the employee in question.

If you want to understand why every single veteran lifeguard (15+) protested this move by leaving, consider working a job that requires personal and financial sacrifices only to learn that the highly paid people in charge of you are dishonest, manipulative, and willing to treat you like dirt to achieve their own ends. It was the underhandedness of those in power that created this situation. After being told the proposed pay rates for them were “crazy” on the 28th, the assistant captains were offered even more than the former captain less than 24 hours later if they would stay and enable the interim town managers rash decision. Two weeks later after some remaining employees grew upset about the lack of raises and poor working conditions, the original proposed raises were finally approved and in some cases with an additional $4-5/hour on top equaling the highest rate rejected earlier for a 9-year veteran and assistant captain. This begs the question: If those pay rates weren't the issue why did this happen in the first place?

Some of the topics we would like to see addressed include the following.
1) Who on the select board told the interim town manager to eliminate departments and why wasn’t this discussed publicly?
2) Why did the select board appoint a new Lifeguard Captain who does not meet the qualifications for the position, and without an application or vetting process?
3) Why did the select board read a pre-written statement at the July 20th meeting without hearing a word from the public, veteran lifeguards, or former captain?
4) Why has the select board refused to hear from the former lifeguard captain on an issue involving the interim town manager?
5) When did each select board member know that the Fire Chief was going to be taking over the lifeguard service?
6) Why is the select board only listening to those in powerful positions with conflicts of interest, and not the community and employees who have been deeply affected?
7) Why did the select board talk about giving up privacy rights if they had already made up their mind not to allow discussion?
8) Why would the select board support a decision that skirts the legislative and public voting process of changing the structure of town government? (By allowing the Fire chief to become Lifeguard captain) This is anti democratic and ridiculous on its face.

The summer is over but this issue is not. We hope the select board will support transparency and accountability for the most powerful people in town government including themselves. This is how a town stays healthy and puts the interest of the community first.

Zoom link for meeting at 6:00 pm
Connecting by computer or mobile device: Register in advance or at the time of the meeting: https://ogunquitpd-org.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_KeqPns1IQkuTDU5fmy5auQ
After registering, you will receive a confirmation e-mail with information to join the meeting.

Picture of unguarded beach Saturday September 11th, 2021

08/17/2021

UPDATE: Please share and spread this post. There is a select board meeting tonight at 6:00 pm at the Dunaway center. If you’d like to join come on down or participate via zoom.

This is the last meeting until after Labor Day. I plan to attend and ask questions of the town manager, fire chief, and select board that the public and former lifeguards deserve answers to.

To participate/attend the meeting online you must register using the following link https://ogunquitpd-org.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_KeqPns1IQkuTDU5fmy5auQ

A month ago, the town exiled veteran lifeguards saying they should have tried to work things out before protesting. How was that supposed to happen when they couldn’t trust those in power? They did try, and it was clear to them that those in power were not acting in good faith.

The town has also not responded to my appeal request submitted on July 27th. The charter is clear that a department head can only be removed with notice, cause, and a hearing. I received none of these and was removed from my position. All I asked for is a chance to make a case to the board at a public hearing.

The clock has all but run out on a resolution. I told former guards I would keep attending meetings on their behalf but to not get their hopes up. This has been a difficult experience and will leave a deep scar on all of hearts. When the SB read a prewritten statement on July 20th without hearing from us and the public it signaled an unwillingness to listen. Canceling the August 3rd meeting when neighboring towns held theirs was also telling.

What will be accomplished by continuing to speak out on this issue? It’s hard to say. I feel compelled to do so until there is some form of accountability and public apology to those affected. At least two dozens supporters of current board members have spoken to me since this happened expressing their disgust and dismay with where the town is headed. Many asked that we continue speaking out and pressing forward.

This is not political, it’s personal. This job and the Ogunquit community have become a permanent part of our lives much like they did for so many lifeguards before us. Seeing parts of the operation falter and our traditions erased is distressing even for former lifeguards in their 50s. Those who spend significant time on the beach can attest that it’s not the same.

Ogunquit lost the competition it recently hosted 179 to 16.5. To put that into perspective if it isn’t already, it’s Ogunquit’s worst loss by an order of magnitude. It’s not even close. This matters because the teams performance at the competition is a reflection of its pride, discipline, and preparedness. Things that are needed to protect people at the 7th ranked beach in the country. Much of that has been lost because the remaining guards and new leadership don’t have the experience. Having an experienced staff helps mold behavior, sharpen focus, and teach life lessons to young adults just like it once did for us. Without one the town will be rolling the dice and doing a disservice to the public for years to come.

- JP Argenti

08/02/2021

𝐔𝐏𝐃𝐀𝐓𝐄: The select board meeting was canceled late this afternoon (4:45 pm) with no full make-up scheduled or likely until August 17th. If that holds it is also effectively going to run out the clock on returning veteran lifeguards to the beach and restoring our operation to one that doesn't rely on heavy restrictions to keep people safe. Compare how the select board has handled all this to how it mobilized to have meetings and vote on ordinance changes in Spring 2020 for Covid-19 restrictions and outside dining.

See the town website for their details, and keep following us here for ours. 𝐏𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐰𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐛𝐨𝐚𝐫𝐝@𝐭𝐨𝐰𝐧𝐨𝐟𝐨𝐠𝐮𝐧𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐭.𝐨𝐫𝐠 telling them this issue should be taken seriously and discussed beyond a pre-written statement that contains false information. Shouldn't leaders be interested in hearing from all sides?

TO MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC: We need your help to share and like this post and stay involved. Tomorrow (𝐓𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐝𝐚𝐲) 𝐀𝐮𝐠𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝟑𝐫𝐝 𝐚𝐭 𝟔 𝐩𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐛𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐛𝐨𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐦𝐞𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐮𝐧𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐲. We will be there to speak on several subjects and we ask that you please come and continue to make your voices and/or presence heard on the lifeguard situation and radical changes being implemented that will affect the public’s safety and enjoyment of the beach.

Your support is still imperative to our cause, and we plan on seeing this through until the end. Official statements by the town contain numerous and provable falsehoods being pushed by the town office. Dishonesty in municipal administration deserves scrutiny particularly when it affects so many people. We have many questions and comments that need to be put out there.

It’s no coincidence that the board has decided to remove public input from the beginning of the meeting after having it there for a year. Accountability is worth fighting for and we need your help.

Please consider attending and speaking. If you cannot attend, please write to [email protected] to share your opinions again and again.

Don’t let money and power destroy our traditions. - Save Ogunquit Ocean Rescue

07/26/2021

To members of the public: The support that we have received from you has been immense and I want to thank everyone who lent their voice or even just their ear to our cause. What we are fighting for is right. The misleading words, contradictory actions, and demeanor of those responsible for this situation are proof of that.

Though perhaps some of us may never again grace the lifeguard stands of Ogunquit, the fight is not over. A grievous injustice was dealt to not only us but all who live in and enjoy the beautiful place by the sea. One that will not be easily forgotten by us and hopefully not by any of you. We plan to see this through to the end wherever that path may lead.

In the meantime listen for the whistle, respect your local lifeguard, and above all stay safe. -Ethan Bedard

07/20/2021

To members of the public: As you can see in the picture below, many of the traditions we have all come to know and enjoy are being taken away one at a time instead of making things right with the lifeguards who are waiting to return.

There is a select board meeting 𝐓𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐉𝐮𝐥𝐲 𝟐𝟎𝐭𝐡 𝐚𝐭 𝟔:𝟎𝟎 𝐩𝐦 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐮𝐧𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐂𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫 in Ogunquit. If you are a concerned resident, taxpayer, renter, and/or visitor, and would like to have your voice heard, or simply wish to show your support, please attend this public meeting!

We need your help to restore the Ogunquit lifeguard service to a fully staffed and experienced crew for the busiest weeks of Summer ahead. Please continue to share our posts and help spread the word. You can also write to [email protected].

07/17/2021

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE PART 3: To members of the public. There is a select board meeting this 𝐓𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐉𝐮𝐥𝐲 𝟐𝟎𝐭𝐡 𝐚𝐭 𝟔:𝟎𝟎 𝐩𝐦 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐮𝐧𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐂𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫 in Ogunquit. If you are a concerned resident, taxpayer, renter, and/or visitor, and would like to have your voice heard, or simply wish to show your support, we encourage you to attend this public meeting.

We need your help to restore the Ogunquit lifeguard service to a fully staffed and experienced crew for the busiest weeks of Summer ahead. Please continue to share our posts and help spread the word. You can also write to [email protected].

To summarize the ongoing issue, veteran lifeguards resigned after the abrupt demotion and dismissal of the former Lifeguard Captain and change in leadership to a Fire Chief who has no lifeguarding background or understanding of the intricacies of Ogunquit beach. The interim town manager took this action in response to the former Captain’s attempt to increase pay rates that were well within a voter approved budget and crucial to pull in more veteran lifeguards to work more shifts this year.

While drawing attention to this situation we have also been monitoring how the remaining lifeguards are being treated. The new leadership and administration initially gave them pay rates much lower than what was advertised this Winter. Most only received 2% raises, and lifeguards do not have benefits of any kind. After pressure built up earlier this week, they were given the rates originally budgeted for. This begs the question, why did this all happen in the first place?

With so much parking revenue available and legitimate concerns about retaining veteran staffing in the years ahead to keep the beach safe, why wasn’t the budget that was approved by voters being utilized to invest in the men and women on the ground? We are glad it finally is and that other concerns about uncomfortable outside influence have been addressed.

In terms of the next steps, we would still like to see accountability for how the former Lifeguard Captain and everyone involved has been treated. The public and elected officials were misled about what happened. Some individuals would rather roll the dice on the rest of the season than admit wrongdoing and make things right. The bottom line is that the public is not as safe as it would be if fully staffed and with a diverse range of experience levels. Even before these events transpired the veteran guards were concerned about this. We need elected officials to open a channel of communication to find a solution. The clock is ticking to make this right for the community, beachgoers, and the lifeguards who made sacrifices for an organization we all care about.

https://www.bostonglobe.com/2021/07/15/metro/senior-lifeguards-resign-maine-beach-after-pay-dispute-spirals/?ia=122799970

https://www.boxingoverbroadway.com/controversy-brews-over-ogunquit-ocean-rescue/

https://www.newscentermaine.com/video/news/shakeup-in-ogunquit-lifeguard-leadership-leads-to-lifeguards-quitting/97-85033593-4317-4003-a56f-878270fe8585

07/07/2021

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE PART 2: To members of the public. Please share this widely and tag your friends. This post is lengthy in order to lay out the sequence of events that led to the resignation of 15 veteran lifeguards in Ogunquit. We want accountability. The short version is as follows: The interim town manager cut me down and demoted me for trying to increase pay rates and apparently taking up too much of his time, he was content with me stepping away as a result of the demotion, after I rejected the demotion they cooked up infractions against me I wasn’t told about at the meeting to convince the select board a change was needed on short notice, the senior guards did not want to work under the new leadership because of how I was treated, the next day the interim town manager scrambled and came back to me with a new narrative of wanting me to run the beach with Fire Chief as Lifeguard Captain, I asked him not to patronize me and was sent home, all the senior guards resigned, and town administration has been in damage control ever since including saying I was never demoted and quit on the lifeguards over a title change. Please read the full version below if you can and let the media and select board members know the story at [email protected]. We'll take any help we can get. The interim town manager can be contacted via email at [email protected].

We were hoping there would be a path forward to resolve what happened a week ago when the interim town manager set off a chain of events that led to every veteran lifeguard resigning. What led to the abrupt restructuring of the Lifeguard service was a series of attempts to explain to the interim town manager and HR consultant that we had a problem this Summer and weren’t paying enough to pull in veteran guards for more shifts in Ogunquit. I budgeted for and vetted similar numbers over the winter. An elected official recommended going even higher than I ultimately did. After the process to approve pay rates dragged on for several weeks without a meeting about them or clear answers I eventually sent more information and suggested a meeting with the SB chair present in an email Sunday June 27th. I had an up and down history with the interim town manager when he was a police lt. and felt the chair might help facilitate more mutual respect. This upset the interim town manager as he felt the request was in relation to pay rates and budgeting and not the uneasy relationship we had. The next morning the assistant captains and I went to the Fire Station looking for a different perspective on the pay rate situation. We received good feedback from the Fire Fighters. When the Fire Chief arrived, he suggested it might be better for him to talk to the Interim town manager than us. Shortly afterwards I received an email requesting my presence for a meeting at 11:30 am in the interim town managers office.

On Monday June 28th at 11:30 am I went to the interim town managers office with the Fire Chief. He told me he had appointed the Fire Chief as Lifeguard Captain and was demoting me to a Lifeguard with a flat pay rate in what would have been my 9th year as Lifeguard Captain and 20th year with Ogunquit Ocean Rescue. The interim town manager stated that the new Fire Chief/Lifeguard Captain would be appointing assistant captains as he saw fit with no mention of me being a prime candidate or running the beach. This was done callously and without regard for how I would receive the news. After 20 years of working for the town of Ogunquit in a seasonal position that was just demoted back to lifeguard, I could not accept a change that would give all my duties to a Fire Chief to delegate. They were content letting me walk and asked me about the senior guards. Before leaving I questioned why this was happening and was told I did nothing wrong, that it was not retaliation for anything, and that it was going to happen eventually anyway. When I asked why the interim town manager didn’t tell me before the season started or give me warning, he scrambled before saying that he was going to ride out the season but it just wasn’t working out for him. He wanted to change the reporting structure and this move helped him do that. The Fire chief asked me if I would wait for him at the beach and I said yes.

After I left, the interim town manager and Fire Chief had a phone call with the town’s HR consultant to discuss what happened and how to move forward. Instead of waiting until the July 20th SB meeting for the official appointment of the new Lifeguard Captain, the interim town manager decided it had to be done the next day based upon my refusal to accept the demotion and his fear of how the situation might unfold. To justify to the select board that this had to happen with only 24 hours-notice, the interim town manager asked the HR consultant to cook up administrative infractions against me to relay to select board members before the Tuesday meeting. These included my putting new pay rate numbers for the assistant captains on my payroll spreadsheet mistakenly believing they had been approved, and submitting hours for myself for winter administrative work. The latter was approved and completed by the HR consultant herself without any problem communicated to me. Over a month after they happened these issues were inflated to cover for the interim town managers abrupt decision and my refusal to accept. Keep in mind I was never told about these things by the interim town manager. He told me the reasons for the change were his personal preference and nothing else.

After I left his office, I went back to the beach to finish the day and wait for the new Lifeguard Captain/Fire Chief. When he came, he did not tell me he still wanted me to run the beach. He talked in generalities about helping him out along with the two former assistant captains. I was pretty distraught and still trying to digest what just happened with no warning. At one point while I was emotional The Fire Chief asked me to at least give him some tips on how to complete payroll for the week. The Fire chief seemed more concerned about the impact of my leaving on him than what had just happened to me, the 20-year employee whose job he had just taken. I asked him why he accepted my position like this and he had no answer other than that he was a new employee and had to. I stated that I planned to go to the SB meeting after work on Tuesday and resign at the podium with a 3-minute speech. The Fire Chief turned to the two assistant captains to get their phone numbers and later asked to meet them early that evening.

The two assistant captains met with the Fire Chief after work. He told them the pay rates I had been seeking for them were too high, but ‘if they stuck it out this season, they would do some cool things together in 2022’. They told him that given what had happened to me earlier in the day they no longer wanted to work for the town of Ogunquit. That same evening, I then received a text from the interim town manager asking if I could meet with him again at 9 am the next day in his office. I received another text in the morning asking me to drop by. I did not respond to either. I wanted to enjoy my last day as a lifeguard with the people I cared about and did not want it ruined by another encounter with a man who says he doesn’t care or have emotions about things. After our workout and while getting ready to go on duty the Fire Chief pulled up and told me the interim town manager wanted to meet with me again in his office. The Fire Chief could or would not tell me why. I said I did not want to go and just wanted to enjoy this last day on the beach with my friends and colleagues. When prodded again I suggested he could send me home for refusing but I would not meet with the interim town manager. After another request I relented on the condition that a former guard and good friend would be allowed to come with me.

In this second meeting on Tuesday the interim town manager tried to behave as if Monday never happened. It was clear that when the two assistant captains spoke of resigning the night before he decided he needed to change his narrative and try to keep me because the original plan blew up. He was worried what I might say at the select board meeting and needed to backtrack from Monday’s demotion. After starting off the meeting accusing me of telling patrons the Fire Chief can’t swim and campaigning for other guards to leave (both not true), he settled in to pretending they wanted me to stay and run the beach with a different title. If someone punches you in the face and then smiles with their hand extended you don’t shake it. They wanted me to stay on for two weeks to see how I liked the new arrangement, but in reality, this would have been two weeks of me helping the Fire Chief adjust to his new job. Just taking away the administrative portion of my duties alone is still taking away one of the main reasons I was still there. To advocate for the men and women of our department and give us a direct line to elected officials and the public. Something I had done much more effectively and efficiently than any other administrator in the region. A Fire Chief will never put his/her job on the line on the lifeguard’s behalf. This one certainly didn’t do it for me when he willingly took my position after 5 weeks in town. After I called out the interim town managers patronization I was dismissed and told to go home just after 12 pm. Me and my friend took this as my termination.

I walked back to the lifeguard station to finish cleaning out my belongings and the Fire Chief arrived to speak with the assistant captains a 2nd time before I could deliver the news I was dismissed. He spent time with each of them reportedly trying to convince them to stay with various incentives. After originally telling them my proposed pay rates for them were crazy the previous evening, he offered them even more than I make. They both turned down this insult to all of us and the reasons we were there. One of them resigned that evening along with another veteran guard. During the select board meeting the line was delivered once again by the interim town manager that this was done to reduce reports to the town manager. It was not until later in the week did information get out about confidential employee information being involved in the decision to push through the appointment of a new Lifeguard Captain without any vetting or questions about his qualifications. The fact the interim town manager assumed a brand-new Fire Chief was qualified to hold this position shows how little respect exists for the Lifeguard Department and our responsibilities.

The following morning the second assistant captain formally resigned after receiving a third and even higher pay rate offer. Every other veteran guard resigned as well. No one was asked to do so, and on Monday afternoon I went out of my way to tell the entire crew what was happening and to look out for each other and themselves pending the SB meeting on Tuesday. I did not anticipate being dismissed before the SB meeting. The rest of the week, a narrative was spread that I was never demoted and the interim town manager just wanted me to have more time in charge on the beach. The truth is I was removed without cause, notice, or a fair hearing from my Lifeguard Captain Department Head position, and dismissed as a lifeguard the following day. I spoke to this fact in my opening sentence at the SB meeting Tuesday evening.

The only way forward that would return things to normal this year for the lifeguard service and give the paying public the protection they deserve involves 1) the full Lifeguard Captain position being returned to myself or a former assistant captain, 2) pay rates being allocated as was budgeted for, and 3) a public apology to all the lifeguards and community affected by this. This situation was created by town administration. Veteran guards responded as any human being would working under leadership that didn’t respect them and the sacrifices required to continue working this job into their 20's. If we had the staff that was needed to comfortably protect the beach the interim town manager never would have heard from me about pay rates. Morale is not great among those still working and they want this whole thing undone. Many will not return next year if they make it through this one. We need someone to take charge and do the right thing for the public and the employees who put their bodies and lives on the line for Ogunquit. Save Ogunquit Ocean Rescue - Jp Argenti

Save Ogunquit Ocean Rescue

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