Pools failing to find guards

Many facilities plan to curtail hours in wake of shortage of available lifeguards

With the return of summer temperatures, area residents may seek respite from the heat in their community swimming pools -- but a lack in lifeguards could throw a wrench in their plans.

Despite covering the roughly $200 certification cost for each lifeguard and doing all training inhouse, DelGrosso's Park and Laguna Splash -- which typically hires 80 lifeguards each season -- is finding it difficult to fill open positions, Director of Marketing Amy Mearkle said.

The initial lifeguard course is 22 hours of instruction with continuing education all season long. Lifeguard qualifications at DelGrosso's are "being 15 years old and being able to swim," Mearkle said.

"It has been a struggle," she said. "We're still actively hiring so we're hoping we'll be able to have all attractions open normally."

If it isn't able to find enough help, the park will have to activate plans to rotate attractions, Mearkle said.

"For example, the lazy river could be open for two hours and then close to open the wave pool for two hours," she explained.

DelGrosso's even has a page on its website that is dedicated to potential operational changes for customers to look at before visiting the park.

"There's going to be situations where guards have situations, time off -- so on short staff days, we'd be forced to rotate attractions," Mearkle said.

Pool-goers in Altoona will also be facing restrictions this season due to a lack of staff, as previously reported in the Mirror.

Despite scouring the area for candidates, the Central Blair Recreation & Park Commission could net only six lifeguards, one of them part time, one manager and one cashier.

That means that unless more workers can be found, the facility will be open six hours a day, four days a week, according to commission Executive Director Mike Hofer.

Pool hours will be from noon to 6 p.m. Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, June 7 to Aug. 13, Hofer said, noting that could change if more lifeguards are hired.

If three or four more certified lifeguards agree to work at Prospect, the commission could "add a day or two -- or even three," Hofer said, although the commission has already tried several career fairs, school events and online recruitment websites.

Realistically, the commission would need 11 or 12 lifeguards to operate seven days a week, Hofer said.

The Blue Knob State Park website tells a similar story. In an alert box at the top of its page, it states its swimming pool would open for the season starting Saturday, May 28, with its weather dependent hours of operations being 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. until Monday, May 30.

The pool will then be closed May 31 until June 2.

Beginning on Friday, June 3, "the pool will begin modified summer operations, Thursday through Monday, until further notice due to staff shortages," the alert reads. Hours of 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. would remain.

The lifeguard shortage isn't a ubiquitous problem, however. The pool in Martinsburg's Memorial Park didn't have any trouble filling its lifeguard positions this season, Morrisons Cove Memorial Park Executive Director Chuck Gojmerac said.

"We actually had turned down workers for lifeguards, snack bar and day camp workers," he said. "Our hours are remaining the same at the pool -- 11:30 a.m. till 7 p.m. daily."

The pool opened on May 27 with some new improvements, Gojmerac said.

"We had a leak in our pool for a few years, but with the help of Haven Ridge Excavating and Greenwood Pools, we were able to find the leak, fix it and add new cement around the pool," Gojmerac said. "We are also adding a new heater this season in addition to a new dual turbo twister slide."

The pool also offers evening swimming lessons in June and private parties from 7:15 p.m. until 9:15 p.m. all week.

Mirror Staff Writer Rachel Foor is at 814-946-7458.