Lifeguards face losing trucks

Andrew Edwards

Laguna Beach lifeguards have been using donated trucks for more than

a year, but the free ride is about to come to an end.

Four of the Marine Safety Department’s six trucks were donated by

Chevy as part of a promotional campaign that included donations to

other cities along the California coast.

Lifeguards were first told they would have to return the trucks,

about six months ago, Marine Safety Chief Mark Klosterman said.

The department has used the trucks for about 18 months, he said.

Lifeguards had worked out extensions on the deal, but a final due

date for the vehicles is set for May 10.

Lifeguard Capt. Kevin Snow characterized the impending loss of the

trucks as more of a money matter than a safety concern.

“It’s going to be a budget issue for the city,” Snow said.

Laguna lifeguards and marine safety officers in other cities did

not expect to keep the trucks forever, Snow said.

“Everybody knew it had to end someday,” he said.

Chevy did not tell lifeguards why the deal was ending, Snow said.

A spokeswoman for General Motors said the decision was made for

business reasons.

Chevy’s goal in the arrangement was advertising, or, “exposure of

the product,” as spokeswoman Nancy Libby called it.

When Chevy executives did not get as much exposure as they had

hoped for, they decided to cancel the arrangement, she said.

“There were contractual arrangements, it wasn’t a charity,” she

said.

Libby did not give specific reasons for the due date was set near

the start of the summer tourist season, but said Chevy could not have

delayed the deadline until the end of summer.

The company had provided enough notice for lifeguards to figure

out how to replace the trucks, she said.

The next step for lifeguards is to decide whether to pay Chevy to

keep the trucks, or make a deal for new vehicles. If lifeguards

choose to keep the Chevys, they would pay a reduced rate reflecting

the vehicles’ wear and tear.

The price to keep the Chevys would be about $30,000, Klosterman

said. New trucks would run about $45,000.

The lifeguards plan to make their choice within the next few days.

“We’ll make a decision late next week,” Klosterman said.