MARQUETTE -- In the wake of four drownings near Marquette's shorelines last summer, including two at Picnic Rocks, the city has raised their waterfront safety efforts to high tide, starting with lifeguards.

Last summer, only four lifeguards patrolled Marquette's 10 miles of beaches, but this summer that number's been doubled to eight.

"They're our eyes and our ears down at the beach," said Marquette City Police Captain Blake Riebolt.  "I mean, they're our front line defense against water-related instances."

Marquette's beaches officially open Friday, so lifeguards got their feet wet on Wednesday with some new procedures through beachfront training.  First, they learned about their new post at Middle Beach, between McCarty's Cove and the notoriously dangerous Picnic Rocks.  Second, they have improved communication with city officials via emergency cell phones.

"Each cell phone's assigned to a specific beach so that we know if we call the cell phone, we can get a hold of a lifeguard at the South Beach or we can get a hold of a lifeguard at McCarty's Cove," Riebolt said.

Another new wave of safety added to Marquette beaches are designated swimming area buoys.  The buoys, which were added Tuesday, stretch from Picnic Rocks to McCarty's Cove and will assist lifeguards in their rescues.

"We've placed the buoys at appropriate distance so that we can make a 30-second save," said Community Services Director, Karl Zueger.  "We know that it's extremely important that when we recognize that we have a distressed swimmer, we have to get to that distressed swimmer in 30 seconds."

Non-designated swimming areas that lack lifeguards, like Presque Isle and Picnic Rocks, are monitored by roaming park patrol officers, who are also trained lifeguards.

And the safety improvements are not complete just yet--lifeguards could soon be equipped with a rescue jet-ski.  The jet-ski is already in the city budget, and if all goes according to plan, it should be patrolling the beaches by July.