Philly needs more lifeguards before pools can open
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Philly is offering ever more incentives to attract lifeguards amid a years-long shortage.
Why it matters: Without enough staff, some city pools may end up closed this summer.
What’s happening: Temple University students who work as lifeguards at North Philly pools can earn three credit hours from the school through a new program.
- This is in addition to the $1,000 bonus the city began offering this year to hire more guards.
State of play: More than 300 have already signed up to work at city pools, up about 100 from the same time last year, Parks and Recreation Department spokesperson Maita Soukup tells Axios.
- The city is looking to recruit between 40 and 50 more to open all of the city’s more than 60 pools this summer.
The big picture: The pandemic “wiped the slate of certified lifeguards completely clean,” Bernard J. Fisher II, director of health and safety at the lifeguard association, tells Axios' Kelly Tyko.
- The recertification of existing lifeguards, which is required every two years, could also contribute to this year's shortage.
Between the lines: The pandemic also reversed longtime drowning trends, which had been going down each year until 2020, Adam Katchmarchi, executive director of the National Drowning Prevention Alliance, says.
Flashback: The city opened only 49 pools last year and 42 in 2021 due to the lifeguard shortage.
What to watch: Public pools will open on a rolling basis in the coming weeks, but a schedule has yet to be released.