'Critical resource': Philadelphia officials actively recruit lifeguards for all community pools
Philadelphia officials actively recruit lifeguards for all community pools
Philadelphia’s Commissioner of Parks and Rec, her staff and City Councilmember Kenyatta Johnson going door-to-door in Southwest Philly to recruit lifeguards. It’s an all-out effort to make sure the city can open 65 of its pools, after so many challenges last summer.
SOUTHWEST PHILADELPHIA - Philadelphia community pools are on top of officials minds as they make every effort to properly staff the pools in time for summer.
"We’re looking for lifeguards," Kathryn Ott Lovell said.
Philadelphia’s Commissioner of Parks and Rec, her staff and City Councilmember Kenyatta Johnson going door-to-door in Southwest Philly to recruit lifeguards. It’s an all-out effort to make sure the city can open 65 of its pools, after so many challenges last summer.
"We have 65 pools we can open this summer and we are working every single day to try to identify people young and old who are inclined to be lifeguards this summer," Ott Lovell explained.
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The city looking to hire more than 350 lifeguards, with pay at $16 to $18 an hour. The city will even cover the cost for Red Cross certification for anyone 16 to 24 years old. It also needs pool maintenance people at $15 an hour.
"These pools are critical resources for communities," Ott Lovell added.
The city is hoping by diving into the recruiting process early, the season will be a splash. But, staffing concerns linger. "If we don’t have the guards we need in a couple weeks, we’re gonna have to start to make hard decisions around which pools open and which don’t," Ott Lovell warned.
City Councilmember Johnson says getting the pools open is about more than having a fun place to cool off on a hot day.
"When we have this level of gun violence we are seeing, the only way we’re gonna change the direction of our community is getting involved. So, being a lifeguard, supporting our young people, goes a long way in making sure our neighborhoods are safer," Johnson said.
Anyone seeking more information on becoming a lifeguard can do so at the City of Philadelphia's website. Additionally, anyone with questions can email at lifeguard@phila.gov.