Local beach or pool closed? 6 reasons why there’s a lifeguard shortage this summer
This Fourth of July weekend, don’t be shocked. if you go to your neighbourhood pool. Or beach and it’s closed: The cherished summer ritual of going swimming is being severely disrupted by an enormous lifeguard shortage.
As has been extensively reported, the paucity of lifeguards prevents. Many American cities and towns from opening their swimming facilities. Or, at the very least, they are. Reducing their operating hours.
This Fourth of July weekend, don’t be shocked if you go to your neighbourhood pool or beach and it’s closed: The cherished summer ritual of going swimming. Is being severely disrupted by an enormous lifeguard shortage.
How awful is it? Less than half the number of lifeguards the city employed just three years ago, there are only 700 lifeguards available to work at municipal swim areas in New York City alone. According to Crystal Howard, an associate commissioner with the city’s parks department, “it’s been difficult to recruit enough skilled individuals, like it is across the entire country.”
Why is there a shortage? MarketWatch investigated the problems and met with American Lifeguard Association representatives, discovering a number of underlying factors. numerous ways
This Fourth of July weekend, don’t be shocked if you go to your neighbourhood pool or beach and it’s closed: The cherished summer ritual of going swimming is being severely disrupted by an enormous lifeguard shortage.
How awful is it? Less than half the number of lifeguards the city employed just three years ago, there are only 700 lifeguards available to work at municipal swim areas in New York City alone. According to Crystal Howard, an associate commissioner with the city’s parks department, “it’s been difficult to recruit enough skilled individuals, like it is across the entire country.”
The first six are listed below.
Building more swimming pools
Prior to recently, the majority of people could only use decent-sized swimming pools at community centres.
The pandemic makes an appearance.
Undoubtedly, the COVID-19 epidemic also contributes to the shortage. The infection caused numerous lifeguard training programmes to close during the past two years, according to Fisher. And that implies that many potential recruits – Fisher estimates that 300,000 persons receive certification each year — missed their chance. Additionally, lifeguards must renew their certification every two years, and according to Fisher, many failed to do so during the pandemic since there was nowhere to go.
the difficulty of locating assistance abroad (including from Russia)
Young workers From other countries have traditionally. Been used by Americans to fill summer jobs, especially through specific. short-term visa schemes. And there were that many temporary lifeguards.
But there’s still a catch to this: According to Fisher, many of the visa workers, including those working as lifeguards, were from Eastern Europe. Particularly Russia. Fisher continues that because of the conflict in Ukraine, it has become more challenging for those Russian citizens to leave because they now have new objectives and worries.
Teenagers can locate employment that pay more.
It’s no secret that kids are suddenly in high demand for summer and other employment due to a national labour shortage. And because of it. They can look for jobs with higher income (the New York Post just revealed that some people are making more than $50 an hour at some jobs). All of it is bad news for the lifeguard sector, which is a profession where the average
To counteract the issue, some areas are raising rates and providing recruiting incentives. The state of New York recently announced a 34 percent pay increase to $20 per hour for lifeguards working at upstate beaches and pools.
Baywatch’s impact (or lack thereof)
Do you recall the previous “Baywatch” television series with Pamela Anderson and David Hasselhoff? Even though it wasn’t precisely. A highly regarded show, its ten-year run saw. It become a pop cultural phenomenon (1989-1999). It also brought lifeguarding to the forefront of the public’s consciousness. Which encouraged many people to look into it as a career. Fisher says, “We had folks lined up around the corner.
But no new “Baywatch”-style programme has appeared to pique viewers’ interest in the field. Also, a 2017 movie
There is a lack of seriousness in the work.
According to Wyatt Werneth, a veteran lifeguard trainer associated with the American Lifeguard Association. There is frequently a misconception that the industry is made up of seasonal workers. Who spend their days lying on their chairs while covered in sunblock. Of course, they play a crucial role in the emergency services. They are a component of our EMS system, he claims, but they frequently go unnoticed.
https://justlifeguard.com/collections/mens-lifeguard-shorts
Municipalities should take note of this, according to Werneth, and offer full-time positions with competitive pay and benefits. On line with those for paramedics, police officers, and firemen. Of course, there might be less of a need for lifeguards during the winter, but Werneth claims that lifeguards can be cross-trained and employed in other emergency situations.
