Roanoke, Virginia – As we approach the summer season, swimming facilities across the Blue Ridge region are gearing up for a bustling period. However, a significant hurdle persists – a shortage of lifeguards.
It’s an issue that many aquatic facilities grappled with last year. Despite a slight improvement this year, the need for additional lifeguards remains pressing.
The Senior Director at the Kirk Family YMCA, Matthew Reedy, noted that the cost of obtaining lifeguard certification could deter potential candidates, particularly in the current economic climate following the Covid-19 pandemic. “Here we have had an issue with access as well so a large part of the population especially locally can’t swim and so a swim test that’s required for lifeguard certification could appear a little daunting,” stated Reedy.
This is not solely a local dilemma. It extends to affiliated facilities throughout the Blue Ridge region as well. The scarcity of lifeguards is most conspicuous during the daytime shifts, Reedy added.
“Here at Kirk, we are roughly 45 lifeguards. At the other location, somewhere between Salem, would be somewhere between 25 and 35. Botetourt, potentially between 20 and 25. So, if you have like 40 shifts, ideally you have like 50 to 60 lifeguards,” Reedy explained.
This shortage is impacting other community swimming facilities too. “And I think that comes down to two kinds of issues. One, there’s just a lot of pools in Roanoke, so from your country clubs to your community pools, there’s a lot of kind of pools looking for this small amount of candidates. Second, big reason is it’s hard to find people who have the requirements to be a lifeguard,” remarked Morgan Richter, the Head Coach of the Virginia Gator Swim Team.
Richter expressed concern that while they can operate with their current staffing levels, others may not be as fortunate. “And I’m afraid if we don’t find those candidates some pools might have to close down a couple of days or longer,” Richter expressed.
To those considering the lifeguard career path, aquatic directors stress the importance of attempting the swim test, highlighting that there are financial aids available to assist with the cost of lifeguard certification courses.
For more information, refer to the Lifeguard Academy and YMCA Employment web pages.
