PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Philadelphia Parks and Recreation is hoping some new incentives will entice more youths to take the plunge into lifeguarding this summer.
Hundreds of lifeguards are needed to open the city’s 60-plus public pools. To encourage more applicants, the city is expanding hours and locations where individuals can get trained and also offering cash bonuses.
The department announced last week that free lifeguard training is now available seven days a week at three locations:
Lincoln High School in Northeast Philadelphia
Mondays through Fridays from 4:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Friends Select School in Center City
Saturdays and Sundays from 12:30 to 4:30 p.m.
St. Joseph’s Preparatory School in North Philadelphia
Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 5 to 8 p.m.
Saturdays and Sundays from 9 a.m. to noon
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“We’re trying to meet young people where they’re at to get them trained up on being lifeguards,” said Parks and Rec Deputy Commissioner Bill Salvatore.
Gun violence increasingly affects more and more youth as summer temperatures rise in Philadelphia, so Salvatore said public pools become a vital resource.
“No matter where you’re at in the city, when the temperatures rise, so do people’s tempers,” he said. “Opening pools give people a chance to just cool down. … It’s important to bring people together in a positive fashion.”
In an effort to get a handle on lifeguard shortages — a nationwide trend since the pandemic — the city is also offering an end-of-season bonus.
“If you’re 16 years old, you can be certified as a lifeguard. You can work up to 40 hours a week, making $15 to $16 an hour. If you do so by April 15, you get that $1,000 bonus — there’s all kinds of perks to it,” Salvatore said. “So instead of being left to your own vices and messing around on social media or playing video games or wandering the streets, you can put some serious money in your pocket before you go back to school in the fall.”
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The $1,000 bonus will be available to any lifeguard who submits their application by April 15 and works through the 2023 season. Those who complete an application by May 15 are eligible for a $500 bonus.
Parks and Rec aims to hire 400 lifeguards for the summer.
For more information on certification requirements and how to apply, visit phila.gov/lifeguards.
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