PanamaTimes

Friday, Mar 29, 2024

National lifeguard shortage forces pool closures across US

National lifeguard shortage forces pool closures across US

A national lifeguard shortage caused by the Covid pandemic is forcing pools across the US to limit hours, reduce programmes, or shut down entirely.

Major cities throughout US states are scrambling for the summer, as the American Lifeguard Association says one-third of pools in the country will be affected.

New York City has cancelled public swimming programmes. Houston and Chicago have not opened some of their public pools as planned.

"The shortage is real," Motti Eliyahu, a lifeguard trainer, told the BBC.

He estimated that he's trained 1,300 lifeguards over the past four months, and he's seen a higher demand for these workers than ever before.

In Long Island, New York, Mr Eliyahu said pools are so desperate for lifeguards that they are getting into bidding wars for their services. At the beginning of the summer the typical lifeguard pay was $16 per hour. Now, pools are offering $20 per hour. "It's not just a New York thing. It's literally happening across the country right now," he added.

"It is a crisis," said Bernard J. Fisher II, director of health and safety at the American Lifeguard Association. His organisation calculates that the one-third figure will rise to one-half of pools by September.

And simply increasing wages will not solve the problem.

"The reason is that we're just not training the numbers that we need to in order to rebuild the supply of lifeguards that we had prior to the pandemic," Mr Fisher said.

Before Covid, there were some one million certified lifeguards available to work each summer, according to Mr Fisher. But the pandemic interrupted that supply chain, as fewer people were swimming or training to be guards.

The profession requires recertification every two years. So not only did the industry attract fewer new recruits during the pandemic, but many of its workforce saw their qualifications expire.

Compounding the problem was a lack of visas. Many lifeguards are students from overseas, said Lindsay Mondick, a water safety expert with the YMCA, a youth sports and hostel chain. When the US limited student visas in June 2020, it also limited its lifeguard supply. Those visas are coming back as pandemic restrictions loosen, but the shortage remains.

"We have been concerned about this potential lifeguard shortage for a number of years now," Ms Mondick said. "But I would say that Covid-19 and the current tight labour market has really exacerbated this issue".

With high demand and a limited supply, Ms Mondick said the YMCA is offering bonuses, increasing pay, and offering full-time instead of part-time positions.

Phoenix, Arizona, is offering a $2,500 incentive bonus to the next 500 lifeguards that are hired, according to Mr Fisher.


Kayla Stickelman, 19, a lifeguard at an apartment complex in New York, currently makes $16.25 per hour, but said she is considering a large number of other, higher-paying offers. And she's encouraging her friends to apply for jobs as well.

But most are not interested. "It's the certification," Ms Stickelman explained. "It's expensive."

The YMCA is now covering the cost of that training in hopes of attracting more candidates. Mr Fisher thinks other employers will need to do the same. Otherwise, the pool of lifeguards will remain well below demand, even if their pay increases.

"Right now the Titanic is sinking and there's only one lifeboat left. It doesn't matter how much money you throw at the person that's deciding who gets on the boat," Mr Fisher said. "There's only one boat".

If more people don't get certified, the shortage will continue and parents like Jovani Oyola will have trouble getting their children to a local pool.

When Mr Oyola and his eight-year-old daughter showed up to their local pool in the Bronx, New York, they encountered a long queue and found the allotted number of spots had already been filled. "I don't want to break her heart. She's looking forward to this," Mr Oyola thought.

So they took an Uber across town to another pool, only to find it was closed.

"I'm like the outdoor dad. So this is kind of cramping our style a little bit," he said. He found the shortage to be "kind of random," though he added that "after the pandemic nothing really surprises me anymore".


Without adequate pool access, Mr Fisher worries people will flock to watering holes that aren't protected by lifeguards, significantly increasing their risk of drowning.

"It's such a crisis that if we don't start resolving it this year it's going to be even worse next year, which I just can't imagine," he said.

Newsletter

Related Articles

PanamaTimes
0:00
0:00
Close
Apple warns against drying iPhones with rice
In a recent High Court hearing, the U.S. argued that Julian Assange endangered lives by releasing classified information.
Global Law Enforcement Dismantles Lockbit Ransomware Operation
Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny has died at the Arctic prison colony
The President of Argentina Javier Mile does not fly private, he flies commercial, with the citizens he represents. And they LOVE him for it.
Bitcoin Reaches $50,000 for First Time in Over Two Years
Belo Horizonte: Brazil's Rising Carnival Hotspot for 2024
In El Salvador, the 'Trump of Latin America' stuns the world with a speech slamming woke policing after winning a landslide election
Tucker’s interview with Putin is over 50M views on X within the first 5 hours.
Finnish Airline, Finnair, is voluntarily weighing passengers to better estimate flight cargo weight
President Nayib Bukele has proudly announced El Salvador's remarkable achievement of becoming the safest nation in the Western Hemisphere.
Former Chilean President Sebastian Piñera Dies in Helicopter Crash
This farmer seems to understand science a bit more than the event organizer, Klaus Schwab.
Facebook turns 20: From Mark Zuckerberg's dormitory to a $1trn company
The Coolest Dictator in the World" on the Path to Victory in El Salvador
Macron, France and fake news
Indian-Origin Man 'King' Arrested For Smuggling $16 Million Drugs Into US
Can someone teach Americans that not every person with slanted eyes is Chinese?
Europe's Farmers Feeding the People, Protesting Against Politicians Who Do Nothing for Their Country and Serve Only Themselves at Taxpayers' Expense
Paris Restaurant That Inspired 'Ratatouille' Loses $1.6 Million Worth Of Wine
Brazilian Police Investigate Bolsonaro's Son for Alleged Illegal Spying
Police in Brazil Raid Residence of Bolsonaro Associate Over Allegations of Illegal Spying
Border Dispute Escalates as Texas Governor Vows Increased Razor Wire
OpenAI Enhances ChatGPT-4 Model, Potentially Addressing AI "Laziness" Issue
The NSA finally acknowledges spying on Americans by acquiring sensitive data
Report Reveals Toxic Telegram Group Generating X-Rated AI-Generated Fake Images of Taylor Swift
US Border Patrol States 'No Plans' to Remove Razor Wire Installed in Texas
Bitcoin Experiences Approximately 20% Decline in Value
Klaus Schwab recently appointed himself as the Earth's "trustee of the future."
DeSantis Drops Out, Endorses Trump.
Nikki Haley said former President Trump is "just not at the same level" of mental fitness as he was while president in 2016.
Residents of a southern Mexican town set the government palace on fire in response to the police killing of a young man
Samsung Launches AI-Driven Galaxy S24, Ushering in New Smartphone Era
Judge Questions SEC's Regulatory Overreach in Coinbase Lawsuit
The Ecuador prosecutor who was investigating the television studio attack, has been assassinated.
Is artificial intelligence the solution to cyber security threats?
Vivek Ramaswamy suspends his US election campaign and endorses Trump.
Viral Satire: A Staged Satirical Clip Mistaken as Real Footage from the 2024 World Economic Forum in Davos
The AI Revolution in the Workforce: CEOs at Davos Predict Major Job Cuts in 2024
Ecuador Reports 178 Hostages in Prison Gang Standoff
The Startling Cuban Espionage Case That Has Rattled the US Government
Two Armed Men in Ecuador, Dressed as Batman and The Joker Storm the Streets.
Armed Gang Raids Ecuadorian TV Station Following State of Emergency Declaration
Anti-Democratic Canada: Journalist Arrested for Questioning Canadian Finance Minister on Support of Terrorist Group
Ecuador's 'Most-Wanted' Criminal Vanishes from Prison
Mexican Cartel Supplied Wi-Fi to Locals Under Threat of Fatal Consequences for Non-Compliance
Border Surge Leads to Over 11,000 Migrants Waiting in Northern Mexico
Outsider Candidates Triumph in Latin American Elections
As Argentina Goes to the Polls, Will the Proposal to Replace the Peso with the Dollar Secure Votes?
Fatal Shark Attack Claims Life of Boston Woman Paddleboarding Near Bahamas Resort, According to Police
×