For the second summer season in a row, the Metropolis of Seattle is going through a lifeguard scarcity at its seashores and swimming pools.
However the metropolis will probably be internet hosting a sequence of hiring gala’s over the subsequent few days within the hopes that recruiting extra lifeguards will assist stop seashore and pool closures this summer season.
Seattle Parks and Recreation operates 9 seashores, eight outside swimming pools, and two indoor swimming pools. Final summer season, the Seward Park and East Inexperienced Lake seashores needed to be closed to swimmers due to the lifeguard scarcity.
To this point, this 12 months will not be wanting too completely different.
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“We’re in the same place as final 12 months, to be sincere … Truthfully, we’ve about half [the lifeguards we need],” mentioned Rachel Schulkin, communications supervisor for Seattle Parks and Recreation. “We sometimes have someplace round a employees of about 400 lifeguards, and we’re round 200 at this level.”
The overall employee shortages many workplaces are experiencing, in addition to the truth that town’s obligatory lifeguard coaching bought shut down for a 12 months in the course of the pandemic, are all resulting in the scarcity.
This can probably end in sure seashores being closed all summer season. Schulkin mentioned town sometimes opts to shut a seashore for the complete season, as an alternative of simply chopping hours or days every week, so that individuals don’t mistakenly go swimming there on a day when there is no such thing as a lifeguard and it isn’t protected to swim.
“Sadly, we already know we’re not going to have the ability to employees all of our seashores,” Schulkin mentioned. “And so we’ll choose a number of seashores that sadly we received’t be capable to lifeguard this summer season.”
Precisely which areas can be closed continues to be being labored out, because the schedule will not be out but — although the hope is that the hiring truthful will mitigate a few of these closures. The schedule must be out inside the subsequent week.
“The fortunate factor is that we guard Inexperienced Lake and Lake Washington seashores. All of them are usually not that removed from one another — we’re blessed in seashores right here,” Schulkin mentioned. “So hopefully, people can discover their technique to the subsequent nearest seashore.”
Seattle Parks and Rec will probably be co-hosting hiring gala’s with the YMCA of Better Seattle from 5 p.m. to eight p.m. on Thursday at Magnuson Park, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday on the West Seattle YMCA, and from 3 p.m. to six p.m. on Saturday on the Rainier Seashore Group Middle.
Schulkin mentioned each everlasting and short-term lifeguard positions can be found, in addition to part-time and full-time jobs. Pay begins round $20 per hour and could be as excessive as $26 for extra skilled lifeguards. Sturdy swimming expertise are mandatory, however coaching will probably be supplied.
Seattle Parks and Rec will not be the one metropolis company going through a lifeguard scarcity.
The Metropolis of Bellevue mentioned it’s also quick about 15 lifeguards for its seashores and aquatic middle, and is within the strategy of recruiting extra. It’s nonetheless being decided whether or not any Bellevue seashores will shut this summer season.
“As we get nearer to the beginning of the summer season season on June 25, we’ll make choices about allocate employees assets,” mentioned Christina Faine, public info officer for Bellevue Parks and Group Providers, in an e mail.
Tacoma can be on the lookout for lifeguards for its three indoor and two outside swimming pools. Like Seattle, Tacoma additionally needed to restrict swimming final 12 months because of a scarcity of lifeguards, although Tacoma selected to lower hours at sure swimming pools as an alternative of shutting them down fully. Rosemary Ponnekanti, Metro Parks Tacoma’s public info officer, mentioned town is taking a look at the same coverage this 12 months if there are usually not sufficient lifeguards employed within the coming weeks.
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