@@CO is giving public pools up to $25k to hire people

[jeaniebueller]

Been a huge issue in Detroit and other parts of Michigan too

www.wxyz.com/news/lifeguard-shortages-causing-major-issues-for-metro-detroit-pools-waterparks


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Thankfully my community held swim lessons last summer and are back to normal scheduling but the issue is that they couldn't have lifeguard training because of the pandemic. My 15 year old nephew is a lifeguard this summer (which kind of scares me that he might have to help rescue an adult that is larger than him :/ ) I feel lucky that my youngest has been able to take lessons last summer and is in lessons this summer but even so, the pool where lessons are taught are definitely understaffed too.

[karinothing]

Jun 21, 2022 16:08:59 GMT -5 gretchenindisguise said:

@@@

My kid isn’t quite old enough yet, but when I was a teen - lifeguarding was a coveted first job. Is that not true anymore? I lifeguarded from 15 1/2 until I started grad school at 21.

I think kids are just different these days. We rarely have any teens that even hang out at our pool. I think lifeguarding is more fun when your friends or at least kids your age are at the pool. Well, that is if summer movies taught me anything. 

[pixy0stix]

The thread is @@, no need to continue to @ individual posts.

[erbear]

Jun 22, 2022 8:37:06 GMT -5 af1212 said:

Jun 21, 2022 20:26:26 GMT -5 melmaria said:

Yes, this is all true. These articles sum up the problems well: www.npr.org/2022/06/05/1102951892/nationwide-lifeguard-shortage-affects-third-of-pools

abcnews.go.com/amp/US/us-lifeguard-shortage-summer-pool-closings/story?id=85240100

This part is interesting

“In order to be a swim instructor, you have to be a lifeguard,” said Fisher, who said that the few swim instructors may be pulled to sit as a lifeguard rather than teach classes this summer due to the shortage. “The first thing you want to do is teach a child how to swim to prevent drowning… Some of these kids have not been in the water for two years, or ever.”

As that is not my experience. I worked at the YMCA and the swim instructors definitely did not have to be and were not lifeguards.

Wonder if that is a state regulation?

Check out this shit. When I was a lifeguard (from age 15-22, private pools and apartments), the female guards all had to teach lessons, but the males didn’t. What was that bullshit and why didn’t anyone say something?! (Confirmed by my husband and my BIL who worked the same jobs at the same pools and did not teach lessons. My sister and I remember not having a choice — it was part of the job.)

Philadelphia has opened 80% of its city pools but they are understaffed. There was an article in the paper about a 75 year old grandma who did the training so her neighborhood pool could open. I’ve considered getting re-certified but I’m away quite a bit this summer.

[bronxgirl]

The hospital where I work is having a hard time finding a lifeguard this summer. I assumed it's the usual poor planning, but I guess the situation is even worse this year, I feel bad for patients who won't get to use it, but selfishly I'm sad for myself. That's the only pool my family and I have access to over the summer.

[expectantsteelerfan]

In other news, in Pittsburgh city pools, they are shutting down not because they don't have enough lifeguards, but because there is too much violence and guns. A 15 year old was arrested with a gun at one yesterday after a mom confronted him and told him to get away from where her kids were playing.

[sent]

Jun 22, 2022 16:50:15 GMT -5 bronxgirl said:

The hospital where I work is having a hard time finding a lifeguard this summer. I assumed it's the usual poor planning, but I guess the situation is even worse this year, I feel bad for patients who won't get to use it, but selfishly I'm sad for myself. That's the only pool my family and I have access to over the summer.

The pool was a lifesaver when I was a patient in physical rehab. I don't remember there being a lifeguard but there probably was since there were only certain times and days that pool therapy was offered. 

[SusanBAnthony]

I was a lifeguard at the city pool.

First you took red cross lifeguard training.

If you wanted to teach swim lessons you took WSI (water safety instructor) or something like that. I might not have the acronym quite right. It was a separate class that cost more money and time.

You didn't really make more money once you took WSI. I never cared so I never took it. I was a competitive swimmer and a good teacher so my city pool let me reach anyway but technically I should have only been an assistant to a licensed teacher.

My kid can't physically be a lifeguard but is hoping to be a waterslide monitor next year at age 15.

[Velar Fricative]

NYC’s shortage is due to some red tape, of course. For starters, EMTs, FDNY, etc. who also wish to add on some lifeguard hours to their normal work schedules are regularly rejected because of regulations regarding working for two city agencies.

www.thecity.nyc/2022/6/17/23173208/nyc-lifeguards-city-hall-30-year-rule?_amp=true

I myself have gotten more anxious about the water as I’ve gotten older. I won’t swim at an ocean beach anymore - just too freaked out by rip currents, and while I can swim to not drown, my technique sucks. This makes me more anxious regarding my kids swimming too, even though they’re both better swimmers than me lol. So with this lifeguard shortage, I am extra anxious.

[mrspez07]

Jun 22, 2022 12:19:30 GMT -5 icedcoffee said:

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I'm not surprised and honestly kids need to be watched like a hawk in the pool this summer. Many of the kids who should have been getting lessons the past couple years haven't.

My county swim lesson still aren't back to pre-pandemic offerings and those are the only affordable ones. We do $$$ ones, but we are so privleged to be able to do that.

Add not having enough lifeguards and it's kind of scary.

This story came to me through an industry brief/summary, so I’m not familiar with this source, but basically AAP is recommending swim lessons for kids.
www.mynbc5.com/article/summer-safety-swim-lessons-kids-st-albans-vermont/40360004#

Also, for those looking, we were able to do a “waitlist” for a private instructor to hone the kids skills. She contacts us when she has cancellations during her Sat lessons. It has been great since we’re not super busy on summer weekends right now.

[eddy]

My son wants to become a lifeguard and has a goal of completing the training this winter. 

He was amazed, from his own observation, how much downtime lifeguards get. I can’t remember the rules but it is like 30 min in the chair then 30 min off? I was like back in my day lifeguarding was a great gig. There was a social aspect to it. If you worked with cool people it could also be a ton of fun. 

Anyways from what I can tell our city pool is decently staffed and I am grateful for it. 

[af1212]

Another article about the shortage and mentions lots of wages -

apnews.com/article/covid-health-indiana-indianapolis-united-states-6d6f01b9e19b0be696539fa2ee810b01

Indianapolis - currently $15 up from $13 earlier this year
Indiana state parks - $11
Maine state parks - $16
Chicago parks - $15.88

[icedcoffee]

Jun 22, 2022 22:06:47 GMT -5 mrspez07 said:

Jun 22, 2022 12:19:30 GMT -5 icedcoffee said:

@@@@

I'm not surprised and honestly kids need to be watched like a hawk in the pool this summer. Many of the kids who should have been getting lessons the past couple years haven't.

My county swim lesson still aren't back to pre-pandemic offerings and those are the only affordable ones. We do $$$ ones, but we are so privleged to be able to do that.

Add not having enough lifeguards and it's kind of scary.

This story came to me through an industry brief/summary, so I’m not familiar with this source, but basically AAP is recommending swim lessons for kids.
www.mynbc5.com/article/summer-safety-swim-lessons-kids-st-albans-vermont/40360004#

Also, for those looking, we were able to do a “waitlist” for a private instructor to hone the kids skills. She contacts us when she has cancellations during her Sat lessons. It has been great since we’re not super busy on summer weekends right now.

I wish swim lessons were more accessible. We’re spending a bloody fortune on them and thankfully we can do that. Swim lessons are non negotiable for me. My in-laws have a pool and I cannot trust them (or even me and my H to be honest) to keep them safe. So…$130 a month per kid is what we will pay until they can swim the length of the pool twice and tread water for at least a minute.

[melmaria]

Jun 23, 2022 6:29:20 GMT -5 eddy said:

My son wants to become a lifeguard and has a goal of completing the training this winter. 

He was amazed, from his own observation, how much downtime lifeguards get. I can’t remember the rules but it is like 30 min in the chair then 30 min off? I was like back in my day lifeguarding was a great gig. There was a social aspect to it. If you worked with cool people it could also be a ton of fun. 

At my pool, the lifeguards work 45 minutes on, 15 off, with one longer break after a certain amount of time (maybe 4 hours?). They also rotate stations every 15 minutes so they don’t get bored/zone out just staring at one part of the pool for so long, which I think is good.

From observing the lifeguards who are hanging out off duty, it’s definitely a fun social job.

[melmaria]

I would also be surprised at pools who weren’t paying for kids to get certified/trained. At our city pool, they pay for the lifeguards to go through training and get certified. If there’s a lifeguard shortage, you’d think you would want to remove as many barriers to applying as possible. Obviously that comes with extra costs, but…

[erbear]

Jun 23, 2022 7:49:03 GMT -5 melmaria said:

Jun 23, 2022 6:29:20 GMT -5 eddy said:

My son wants to become a lifeguard and has a goal of completing the training this winter. 

He was amazed, from his own observation, how much downtime lifeguards get. I can’t remember the rules but it is like 30 min in the chair then 30 min off? I was like back in my day lifeguarding was a great gig. There was a social aspect to it. If you worked with cool people it could also be a ton of fun. 

At my pool, the lifeguards work 45 minutes on, 15 off, with one longer break after a certain amount of time (maybe 4 hours?). They also rotate stations every 15 minutes so they don’t get bored/zone out just staring at one part of the pool for so long, which I think is good.

From observing the lifeguards who are hanging out off duty, it’s definitely a fun social job.

This was our schedule too. There stands, 15 minute shifts, then a break. Being a lifeguard was a great summer job.

My husband was a beach guard and it seemed much harder. One stand 10-6, hour break, no buddy on the stand. Plus much much more work and pressure.