Lifeguard Lexis

of Northwood Pool

It’s the beginning of May, head pool director Mike Rowe is getting ready to pick up his pool of applications for lifeguards at Town Hall when he gets a call from a neighboring recreation director. He shudders as she says the two words no pool director wants to hear: “guard shortage.”

Community swimming pools across America appear to be getting hit with an epidemic of the pool business: a shortage of lifeguards. What seems to be the best way to enjoy the fresh and sunny summer air while still earning money appears to be running out of style as many age-eligible individuals are opting out of the summer job. This is a huge issue because each pool has set requirements for safety purposes for how many guards need to be present for each shift. At Northwood Pool this year, Rowe mentions how the shortage in town has affected him, and states that “he has had to make adjustments to make everything run smoothly.” Of these adjustments, the biggest one is him “completely cutting the job of ‘concessions stand manager’”. Rowe made the executive decision to only hire lifeguards, and during their breaks rotate them through the concessions stand window. This has “helped with the shortage and has ensured that we always have the maximum amount of trained guards on during each shift.” While this shortage is a huge issue amongst the Northwood community, many other pools are struggling with the same situation.

When asked about the average years of employment for his guards, Rowe mentions that it varies depending on the age the guard begins working there. If he is lucky enough to land incoming high school freshman, they typically spend five or six summers employed at Northwood. In other cases, Rowe finds himself “in a competition with the real world” when it comes to his older guards. Once the guards reach college age, they usually only last a year or two before internships and jobs more advantageous to their future careers take priority. Rowe says that this is “one of the major causes of the lifeguard shortage” and the reason he encourages kids to start applying and get certified as soon as they are of the appropriate age.

In Syracuse, NY, Deputy Parks Commissioner Julia LaFave has spoken out about her many concerns. She states that only 100 of the 150 necessary lifeguard slots are being filled due to lack of interest and lack of applications (Baker). But why is that? When asked about the pay, LaFave mentions that “it’s not great.” Many feel that for all of the required training, they deserve to be making more than minimum wage (Baker). In order to become a lifeguard, one must pass several expensive and time-consuming tests before getting the necessary certification from the Red Cross.

In other areas, such as Austin, Texas, the lifeguard shortage is forcing the community to look past its youth and into its elderly community for employees. Spokesperson for the American Lifeguard Association B.J. Fisher explains how they are “starting to think outside the box: baby boomers, seniors, retired lawyers and accountants.” They “place ads in the newspapers, employee retirement guides and utility bills.” While the elderly may do okay at supervising swimmers, many are nervous about their abilities to act if an emergency were to occur (Bhattarai). To put it simply, teenagers and young adults are much more apt to save someone struggling across the pool in a timely manner than their elder coworkers. Hiring the elderly is more of a last resort, as it compromises on the pool’s common goals, which are to ensure safety in the most efficient way possible (Bharrarai).

Whether it be Northwood or any other community pool, the intense need for lifeguards is prevalent in all areas. Due to the perceived low pay and the interference of the real world, most young adults don’t find the appeal to working as a lifeguard and focus their efforts on jobs that they feel better suit their needs.