Lifeguard shortage could keep some pools, beaches closed

SOUTH JERSEY (KYW Newsradio) — Your favorite beaches and pools are competing to hire a limited stock of lifeguards, and some places may not be able to fully open this summer because of staffing issues.

In Cape May, Ocean City and even Philadelphia, it hasn't been easy for managers to find qualified lifeguards to work this summer. Some beaches may have to close sections to swimming because of the shortage.

This has also been an issue for state parks. John Cecil, New Jersey deputy commissioner of parks, forests and historic sites, said as of right now, they don't have the number of people needed to open all of the swimming areas under state management.

"Our lifeguard program is getting there," he said. "We are operational at Island Beach State Park now on the weekends, and we’ll be operational at our lakes probably in mid to late June. [That's] what we're aiming for."

According to Cecil, a number of factors have led to this shortage. Some people, he said, are still turned off by being out among large groups and don't want to work in crowded settings.

Competition is another factor, as some places can afford to pay lifeguards more, they get more applicants.

"We have been aggressive with our recruitment of lifeguards. We've increased our pay rates, pushing them up above the minimum wage rate in the state right now. So we feel like we're pretty competitive there," he said.

However, he said, some beaches and pools have raised wages up to and even over $20 an hour, so experienced lifeguards are chasing top dollar for their services.

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