PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — The thought of a cool swimming pool has definitely crossed the mind of many Philadelphians in the extreme heat of this week.
"If it's a very hot day, just being in the pool honestly makes the kids less crazy, makes us enjoy the time as well, and we've actually met a lot of friends there," said Nihit Jain.
However, city officials say they still need about 70 more lifeguards to sign up by Friday to fully staff 65 pools they hope to open in the coming weeks.
"We want everyone's pools open. The hard reality is that we still don't have enough lifeguards,” said Philadelphia Parks and Recreation Commissioner Kathryn Ott Lovell.
"What we have by Friday, June 3 is our number, and then we're going to have to make some really tough decisions if we don't hit the number we need."
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If about 70 more lifeguards don’t sign up, the city will have to make some tough decisions about which of the city’s pools will open and which will stay closed. That could put a damper on the summer plans of countless families.
Certain pool closures would mean that residents of some neighborhoods would have to go to a different public pool.
"There is going to be access to swimming pools for every Philadelphian,” said Ott Lovell. “You just might have to go a little bit further."
The city’s goal is to open at least 75% of its pools, up from the estimated 60% that opened in 2021.
"Swimming pools are just part of the social fabric of our city in Philadelphia," Ott Lovell added. "They're how we enjoy summer and where we make our memories. Every positive activity that we have for kids to do will keep them off the streets."
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Philadelphia is not alone in facing a shortage of lifeguards. The staffing challenge is so bad that it could prevent about a third of the country's more than 300,000 public pools from opening, according to the American Lifeguard Association.
Parks and Rec said they have people of all ages, including seniors, signing up. Lifeguards can make between $16 and $18 an hour, and don't need to live in the city.
Lifeguard certification courses are free for applicants who are between 16 and 24 years old. Ott Lovell estimates that it takes about a month to hire, screen, certify, train, and process lifeguards.
Stephanie Raymond contributed to this story.
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