lifeguards vs. ride opperators

[hurrican harbor lifeguard]

i have a question for everyone. i am trying to see if people think that ride oppperators have a harder job than lifeguards, let me just start off the disscusion. lifeguard have to b efit in order to be able to rescue someone. ride opps. dont. im not trying to put down the ride opperators because if it wasnt for them then we wouldnt have any rides open. but people think that all lifeguards do is sit in a chair and hold the tupe and tell people what to do. we have to go through so much training its not even funny, so i would like to hear other peoples input on this topic that would be nice.

MOD Note: Please Use proper grammar and spelling at all times this includes using the shift key its not a very hard thing to do.

[ihauntu2]

Once lifeguards go through grammar , spelling, and punctaution training, come back and try this discussion.

[zjohn1988]

i have a question for everyone. i am trying to see if people think that ride oppperators have a harder job than lifeguards, let me just start off the disscusion. lifeguard have to b efit in order to be able to rescue someone. ride opps. dont. im not trying to put down the ride opperators because if it wasnt for them then we wouldnt have any rides open. but people think that all lifeguards do is sit in a chair and hold the tupe and tell people what to do. we have to go through so much training its not even funny, so i would like to hear other peoples input on this topic that would be nice.

I got respect for some of you guys. Some of ya actually do your job well.

[nalarrabee4752]

I don't know but i've seen lifeguards do ride operation work especially during the month of may before the waterpark opens.

[msoeagle]

I think lifeguards have a MUCH harder job. They have to constantly watch for people in trouble. All the stuff ride ops do is computer assisted.

[SixFlags4ever]

I say that ride operators ae the best,but lifeguards are the ones that actually help you.Rie opetators are not going into the water trying to save you if you are drowning.

[LaTiNoObSeSeDSFGAm]

I think life guards do a harder job. First they get a higher pay so that says it all. Plus, if I knew how to float then I would be a life guard at an instant. They get the better uniform, get to see the ladies, and be in the water when its nice and hot. If its cold they got gear for that. And everyone went to the water park last year so thats where everything happens, much more fun. Ride ops and life guards are tied in my opinion, but any body over 16 can be a ride op if they get the job and pass the test. Life guards ( I heard ) you have to pass the swimming test and a lot of stuff too. Also, believe it or not, the water park has a higher risk of someone dying or getting hurt rather than a roller coaster. Why??? Because people drown and stuff like that. Just like last year, when a guest drowned to death in the wave pool. The life guards are responsible to react at a proper way, clear everyone out of the water, stuff like that. So yup, life guards have a harder job than a ride op but its way more fun than the other employees at Six Flags.

And for the ones that didnt know, when Fright Fest started, and SFHH closed, they moved the lifeguards to the rides department.

[Rusty888]

I think they can be about as equally difficult, but in different ways. For example, life guards dive in and help drowning people but what about when a ride gets stuck on the lift hill? The ride ops have a very large responibility to make sure riders stay calm. When I was stuck on the Whizzer, I'm not sure if he was the ride op or not, but a guy climbed up the stairs and tried to claim down some of the younger riders down and asked if anyone had any questions. To conclude, I believe the can both be equally as difficult, it just depends on what you like doing.

[FRD714]

Life gaurds have to be more attentive when there doing there job, and ride ops really dont, but they kind of do.

[mschulz5]

A bit of a side note, I find it funny how there is a runon sentence and two capitalization errors in the mod note telling hurricane harbor lifeguard to use proper grammer at all times. I'm gonna put money on the fact that it was Galvan who left the note.

Oh, the irony.

[zjohn1988]

Life gaurds have to be more attentive when there doing there job, and ride ops really dont, but they kind of do.

You have NO idea how attentive Ride Ops have to be.. You dont just watch the trains and the panel, but you watch the guests, gates, fences, ride areas, hazards, etc etc.

Its tied.

[Shockwavegirl]

I have been a ride op, and you don't just sit and look at the control panel all day. You have to look, and listen for possible maintainace problems, keep dumb ars people out of the ride area when they lose their hats, glasses, wallets, and once their prosthetic limb, you have to make sure that the riders are safe at all times, and if the ride gets stuck at the top of a lift, you have to climb those stairs at a pretty quick pace to comfort and entertain stuck passengers, (Shockwave had a LOT of stairs, and think about the ops for Eagle and RB, you have to be pretty fit to do that). You are constantly monitoring the line to see if there are potentially too short persons wanting to ride, and whether or not they are putting themselves or others in danger.


I have been a life guard at my local park. Difficult as well, and requires more attentiveness, but to say that the ride ops don't need to pay attention to anything but a computer aided panel is crazy.

[Galvan]

A bit of a side note, I find it funny how there is a runon sentence and two capitalization errors in the mod note telling hurricane harbor lifeguard to use proper grammer at all times. I'm gonna put money on the fact that it was Galvan who left the note.

Oh, the irony.

And you'd lose... i didnt add that

[msoeagle]

Yeah thats true Shockwave girl, I didnt think of that.

[rb1]

You both have a hard job and so as all the workers and departments at Great America I guess you know all of them from food to security etc. Theres no such thing as an easy job. Your both important to the park the park needs you to do your jobs properly and make the place safer for us. As long as your not mean I heard some rumors that some Ride Ops and lifeguards are mean to some guest so pay attention to your training and do your job and hopefully keep the rides operating safely and no one drowning at HH. Enjoy the rest of the season working at SF. Relax youll probably do a good job.

[twixmix0303]

Let's take a look at the record:
-29 years of ride operation: 1 death
-1 year of slide operation: 1 death



First off, I'd like to say is that no one feels sorry for you hurrican harbor lifeguard.

The reason people think that all lifeguards do is sit on their chair is because as a whole you guys are by far the rudest and most unattentive people I have encountered at the park. I'm not talking about the ones that are patrolling the pool, I'm talking about the ones that are supposed to tell me when it's okay to go down the slide. Try smiling a bit, you don't have to act like you're making a sacrifice to be there.

Pay means nothing. It's standard across every industry that new jobs keep up with inflation faster than old jobs. As for uniform, the lifeguards have a pretty hokey uniform in my opinion. Who really wants to sport that soccermom fanny pack, anyways?

LaTiNoObSeSeDSFGAm, you said that lifeguards to a harder job, then you said they're tied. Which one? Being in the water makes their job sound easier, by the way.

No one can really say which is harder without actually working both jobs. A lot more people are familiar with lifeguarding since it is a lot less unusual than ride operating. With ride operating, there's a lot to look out for that most people don't think of: responding to guests having severe asthma attacks or seisures, performing emergency procedures in case of fire or mechanical failure, etc. You don't just spiel and stare at a control panel all day like a lot of you stare at your computer screens.

As rb1 said, there's no such thing as an easy job. And to actually answer the question, I'd say it's tied. Food services and park services probably have the hardest job.

[hurrican harbor lifeguard]

Thank you Mschults5 that is true what you said. How is someone going to tell you what to do when the message they send you have errors in it as well, And to the persont that said "Once lifeguards go through grammar , spelling, and punctaution training, come back and try this discussion." they need to to stop being so self centerd like they know everything. So back to the discission, I am happy that A lot of you appreciate what us lifeguards do, And i am happy to hear all of you opinions on the ride ops. And yes it is true that the lifeguards work thre rides during fright fest ands maybe befor the park opens, But mainly when it is fright fest.

[hurrican harbor lifeguard]

This is to twixmix0303. first of all im not trying to make anyone feel sorry for me. And two I have worked foods so i have worked a hard job. A n di have also worked rides the onlt thing that I was trying to do was see other peoples opinons. I know that ride ops just dont look at the panel all day. And the reasons that the lifeguards look mean is the fact that they are not allowd to talk to the guests all that they can do is watch the water and make sure no one is drowning. The only time that we can have interaction with the guests is when we save them or they ask us a question, and even then we have to call a supervisor over to answer their question. So, i hope that you have gotten all the info that you need.

[hurrican harbor lifeguard]

And the death at the waterpark was because the guy had heart failure. If that happems all we can do is shock them with an A.E.D.

[w00dland]

Why is this topic even open?

First of all, there are maybe 5 people on this board who have any idea whatsoever what it is like to work in the park for an entire summer.

Second, it's a flame war waiting to happen.

I think they both do their jobs quite well, they both have my life in their hands during a day at the park and so far I havn't died, so good job.

[twixmix0303]

I have worked foods so i have worked a hard job. A n di have also worked rides

Glad to see you're all over the park. Not.

I still don't understand why you can't smile and watch a pool at the same time. And Ellis must be screwed up if they don't let you talk while telling a guest that it's okay to go down the slide.

[Trailblazer Tony]

Well, I don't know what it is like to do either position, but this is my thinking. Both go through extensive training so their equal in that aspect. Both jobs require you to be attentive and be prepared to take action, so once again, equal. So the only thing left is what they have to do in the event of an abnormality. Lifeguards are responsible for knowing how to save ones life. They have to be prepared for the worse and when something goes wrong, they sometimes are the only person seperating a miracle from death. Ride ops, on the other hand, are responsible for calming the train in the event of a ride malfunction. They have to know what to do with the ride and how to handle all of the events that may follow.

Overall, i guess the lifeguards have a slightly more stressful position since they are responsible for a life more often than ride ops are.

[Nystagmus]

As a former employee of the park (a ride operator) for many years and as a former lifeguard (and again about to be recertified for summer work), I can tell you that it is hard to say who has a more difficult job. Lifeguarding is difficult. You do have to watch everyone and know what they are doing. It is very tempting and easy to glance away or stop looking for just a second.

Operating a ride can be just as difficult. You do have to watch the panel (especially for the good ol' trouble button!), the guests waiting in line, the guests waiting for friends in the exit, the ride course/area, the guests on the ride, etc., etc. I don't know how many times when I was a lead I had to tell one of my operators to stop the lift because someone managed to wiggle out of their restraint and stand up. Just like guarding, it is easy for an operator for just that brief minute to look away.

In my opinion, I find guarding harder because somedays I'm just scared to lifeguard. I've been doing it for years now. I'm done with college and I do it as a summer job when I don't teach. Lifeguarding can be tricky work and you never want to be the one in the situation where someone gets hurt or worse. The same goes for ride operators. But, at least when I was a ride op, I could always count on my ride stop button to go into action when I needed it to. When I guard, I better be up and ready on my training.

[Director_Guy]

Nystagmus
"I don't know how many times when I was a lead I had to tell one of my operators to stop the lift because someone managed to wiggle out of their restraint and stand up"


Does that really happen often?

[Nystagmus]

On rides where the restraint is just a lapbar, it was common. When I was a lead it happened at least once or twice every few days. Somedays, it would happen many, many times. Generally, if it did happen closer to the beginning of the lift, first we'd send a warning message over the PA. Then, if they kept doing it, we'd warn again and then stop the lift. If they were closer to the top, we'd just stop the lift.

The people who did that never really put themselves in that much danger, but if they were dumb enough to go that far, we were smart enough to stop them.

Now, most of the rides restraints have been updated from what I hear. I personally have not been to the park in a while, so I'm not too sure. But hopefully they're better than what I worked with.