Tampa Bay lifeguard shortage stokes wave of concern
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Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios
The lifeguarding industry needs saving.
Why it matters: This is the third year of the national lifeguard shortage. Experts tell Axios they worry that fewer guards will mean a higher chance of drownings and pool injuries.
- Adam Katchmarchi, executive director of the National Drowning Prevention Alliance, said what scares him is some facilities will choose to operate when they don't have enough safety staff.
- "One of the biggest risks is we're losing some of our safer swimming environments for families over the summer," Katchmarchi said.
The big picture: About a third of more than 309,000 public pools around the country are affected by the shortage, per estimates from the American Lifeguard Association.
- This doesn't include beaches, water parks and other venues, which also may have to trim hours, stay closed or operate with "no lifeguard on duty" signs.
What's happening: The pandemic "wiped the slate of certified lifeguards completely clean," Bernard J. Fisher II, director of health and safety at the lifeguard association, told Axios.
- The recertification of existing lifeguards, which is required every two years, could also contribute to this year's shortage.
Zoom in: In Tampa Bay, and likely throughout the state, beaches have been the most difficult to staff, and finding year-round guards at pools is tough, local aquatics directors told Axios.
- Andrea Moreira, who manages lifeguards for Pinellas County beaches, said it's been hard to get guards in stands for the past few seasons. The county currently needs 12 full-time seasonal lifeguards.
- "We've been struggling for a while," Moreira told Axios. "We make it happen, but since we are short we can never cover the seven days a week we're supposed to."
The intrigue: In the thick of the pandemic, local beaches were fully staffed, Moreira said.
- But a pandemic factor driving the shortage could be that remote work is now more appealing than lifeguarding, she said.
- Peggy Lenny, Tampa's Parks and Recreation team supervisor, said lifeguarding is struggling alongside other service industries with less flexibility than work-from-home jobs.
Between the lines: Beach guarding requires rigorous training, and both beach and pool guards can't use their phones on the stand.
What they're saying: According to Moreira, the solutions to the shortage are simple: Pay lifeguards more and give them better benefits.
- Pinellas County beach lifeguards, who work through extreme heat and storms and have to do physical training each day, make $18 per hour to start. The average salary for a lifeguard in the area is $16-$18, Moreira said.
- "Being a lifeguard used to be a big deal. Now, no one's interested anymore," Moreira said. "My friends' kids would rather go and serve tables … Some people would rather be in AC all day."