What social distance ambassadors do at Jones Beach
WANTAGH, N.Y. - Tristan Hladky is known as a social distance ambassador at Jones Beach State Park. It's a nice summer job if you like interacting with people and being outside but it's one that must be taken seriously.
"I'm the first face people see when they're walking down the boardwalk to the beach," he said. "I greet them and tell them the rules of social distancing during this time."
Hladky is one of some 40 others who share the responsibility of reminding people about COVID precautions. It's a state job starting at $13 an hour.
"In addition to asking the crowd to separate, sometimes they close barricades on walkways and send them further down," said George Gorman, the regional director with NYS Parks. "On the beachfront, we have ambassadors that push the crowd to the open areas."
Ambassadors also focus on high-touch points. It's their job to sanitize railings and disinfect playgrounds to make sure everything is safe for beachgoers.
"My job is to disinfect the games equipment and make sure the games are alright," ambassador Kimanhi Mott said.
Some beachgoers told FOX 5 NY that they appreciate the signs in place to safeguard the community as well as the people who help remind the public.
And even though Jones Beach is operating at 50% capacity because of COVID, there have been over a quarter of a million more visitors this year compared to last.