The lifeguards took “Cardiac Classes”. All lifeguards were already required to be trained in Red Cross lifesaving and resuscitation. The new “CPR” training was developed by Dr. Leonard Cobb at Seattle, University of Washington. He proposed Medic II, the world’s first mass citizen training in CPR, in 1972.
In 1977, the American Heart Association sponsored the training nationwide. Hundreds of thousands of civilians and safety officers were trained to save lives with the techniques over several years. This was also the year the Heart Association declared smoking the most preventable cause of Heart Disease. Berkely, California, became the first city to ban smoking in restaurants in ‘77. The Department of Health began advertising about smoking’s dangers.
US Department of Health Education Welfare ad warning smokers.
New Jersey waited until 1985 to require a non-smoking section in a restaurant, and it was not until 2006 that smoking was banned in NJ restaurants but not in casinos. Sea Girt waited until 2014 to ban smoking on the beach.
CPR Saves lives Library of Congress
Norman Hall, Sea Girt, lifeguards' Captain; John DeBoer, Sea Girt, Assistant Captain, lifeguards Chris Fittin, Peter Fittin, Bonnie Smith, Peter Goodwin, and Eileen Dougherty, all residents of Sea Girt sat for the a two hour lecture, eight hours of practical training, a written exam, and practical examination, one of the first in Monmouth County.
The class was run by Jersey Shore Medical Center and the Manasquan First Aid Squad.
Darlene G. Lippert and Al Ratz, were Sea Girt residents on the Manasquan LG squad who also took the training. Lifeguards were not paid extra for certification or their time in the class. The captain of the SG guards earned $209/week, the assistant $173.50, the experienced guards $128.50, and the rookies $112.50 weekly.
A stark reminder of the need for the training was the sudden death of Clarence Cornelius of a heart attack at 69 while he was at work for the Borough. His father was the second police officer hired in Sea Girt. Clarence began work for the community as the Superintendent in 1936, he served continuously for 40 years until his death.
He kept the town running. He was responsible for taking garbage collection from contractors to save money and building the Public Works Department. He attended nearly every Council meeting and was indispensable to the Mayors and Clerks whom he served. He was also a leader of the Fire Company, serving as President and Fire Chief.
Clarence Cornelius portrait in the Firehouse Lounge
Clarence knew where all of the pipes in town were buried, how the water works were installed, and the workings of the sewer system. Newspapers lauded him as “Mr. Sea Girt”. Mayor Black, who was a personal friend and neighbor, promised his wife, Elizabeth, and three children a memorial to Clarence.
The Council put up a monument and named Crescent Park in his honor, Cornielus Park.
Clarence’s monument in Cornelius park