LA County swimming pools have had to cut operating hours in half due to a shortage of lifeguards, affecting 25 county pools.
Half of the pools will be open Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, and the other half will be open Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday.
Regional Operations Manager at LA County Department of Parks and Recreation Hugo Maldonado explained that during the pandemic, swim facilities, teams and programs were canceled during the pandemic.
“There is a cohort of candidates that normally we would be relying on this time of year, but they just weren’t there,” he said, contributing to the shortage.
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The American Lifeguard Association estimates that one-third of public pools have been impacted.
To stay afloat, facilities have upped salaries and promoted lifeguard training. The average lifeguard in LA County makes $22.69 per hour.
Jasmine Wong, a pool supervisor and senior lifeguard at Ruben F. Salazar Park in East LA, said that the shortage comes from a lack of recruiting for the position.
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“People that come to lifeguarding or come back are mostly recommended by people or their friends who are lifeguards,” she said, “it's basically by word of mouth.”
Wong is currently a student at Pasadena City College. She works at the pool year-round but is able to work more hours over the summer while she is on break.
“It's a wonderful job opportunity,” Wong said, “especially out of college or out of high school.”
The government recommends that parents and guardians watch their kids, use the buddy system and wear a life jacket if they are an inexperienced swimmer, even when there’s a lifeguard on duty.
