Page 64 The Dispatch/Maryland Coast Dispatch August 23, 2013 Learning The Job At Young Age By JOANNE SHRINER STAFF WRITER OCEAN CITY – The Ocean City Beach Patrol’s national award winning Junior Beach Patrol (JBP) program held its final graduation of the summer season last Friday as participants worked their way up through the ranks in hopes to become a full-time lifeguard. During graduation, each child’s name was called and each ran down the line slapping hands with their instructors and receiving their certificate of completion while posing for the camera with Ocean City Beach Patrol (OCBP) Captain Butch Arbin. “We started the JBP program a long time ago. The JBP is divided into three parts; education, prevention and intervention. ... We have taught thousands of kids in JBP through the years we have had it,” Arbin said. The program offers children age 10-17 the opportunity to experience the training and daily routine of Surf Rescue Technicians (SRTs), also known as lifeguards. The JBP models itself after duties and responsibilities of SRTs and focuses on the development of skills associated with the enjoyable and safe use of the beach environment. It is designed to instruct boys and girls in the skills and techniques of beach safety, water safety, surf rescue and physical fitness. Junior Beach Patrol Assistant Instructors Dylan Whittles and Haley Wolfersberger learned last week they will be surf rescue technicians with the patrol next summer. Photo by Joanne Shriner The goals and objectives of JBP is first and foremost to have fun learning as well as promote personal responsibility, develop a better understanding of beach and water safety techniques, heighten public awareness and education of beach safety, improve health and fitness of each participant, encourage good sportsmanship, team unity and discipline and prepare for future surf rescue employment. JBP is split into four levels starting with Level 1 that a participant must be 10 years old, able to swim SEE PAGE 66