A major shortage of lifeguards is affecting at least one third of U.S. swimming pools, prompting some to reduce hours or close altogether, according to new data from the American Lifeguard Association.
That equates to over 300,000 pools in jeopardy this summer in cities everywhere, with experts blaming low pay, training costs, limited working season and a general lack of interest.
In New Orleans, just five of the city’s 13 major outdoor pools are scheduled to open this summer, the New Orleans Recreation Development Commission told several local media outlets. In Raleigh, North Carolina, more than half of the city’s pools are closed, according to local television station ABC11.
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In Minneapolis, pools are so desperate that they’re turning to sign-on bonuses as incentives to get lifeguards in their pools. Pools in Austin are paying lifeguards incentive bonuses up to $1,250. And back in March, YMCAs in Cleveland were offering to pay for lifeguard trainings to curb the downslide in applications.
“Ever since lifeguarding started, we’ve had difficulty filling the ranks because it’s a tough job to obtain,” American Lifeguard Association spokesperson Wyatt Wernethsaid, via Fox Weather. “We’re experiencing what we consider a critical lifeguard shortage. Because of the pandemic, people who did find other jobs that would normally come back to lifeguarding stayed with those jobs.”
Bernard J. Fisher II, director of health and safety for the Lifeguard Association, told NPR the pandemic played a significant role in there being less training available and certificates expiring to where interest naturally waned. He also said there aren’t as many J-1 visa students available for the job, who had helped filling shortages in the past.
Safety is of utmost concern given the shortage, with experts encouraging groups to have a “water watcher” for safety protocols.
Rosie Turner, the executive director of marketing for a YMCA in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, told ABC News it’s “absolutely imperative that parents and family members take it into their own hands to learn to be water safe and water confident.”