With the intense heat coming to the Bay Area this weekend, several East Bay recreation centers say they're worried they don't have enough staff to keep their pools open.
“Our focus when we're operating our pool is to make sure we are keeping everyone safe. That is our number one priority and we do need lifeguards and staff to be able to do that,” said Korey Riley.
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WATCH HEREShe’s the aquatics manager at Pleasant Hill Aquatic Park and said she's short about 10 lifeguards this season. That means a limit on swimming lessons, longer waiting lists, and sometimes it may mean not being able to keep the pool open.
“If it becomes a safety concern for us then we have closed down portions of the facility or the facility overall,” said Riley. “It’s very unfortunate, but again our priority is the safety.”
Riley attributes the shortage to impacts left over from COVID. She also says an extensive 28-hour lifeguard certification process and student internships are also keeping potential lifeguards out of the water.
“COVID has changed everything in our lives. That year of 2020 we had no recruitment, we didn’t hire any new lifeguards and we lost an entire year of recruitment. In addition to that, you had swimmers who were not swimming and building the skills needed to become a lifeguard,” said Riley.
Lifeguards like James Speer, who's been on staff for three years.
“It’s been tough,” he said.
He's noticed the changes and explains it's not just about having enough staff, but the need for extra people on hand during the hotter months.
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SIGN UP “It's important to have people up constantly but it is also important to take breaks. It's hot out here in the middle of July, dog days of summer, so it's important to have breaks for these lifeguards because it gets hot up on the stands,” he said. “You get fatigued and the fresher our lifeguards are the safer our patrons will be.”
A swimming situation Riley hopes won't last for long.
“I got in to this job because I want to teach people how to swim and I want them to be safe in and around the water,” she said. “It’s something that I’m looking at every day and every week what the schedule is, how can we accommodate more?”
Riley said they have only had to close the pool once this season. While there is a shortage, numbers have improved since last year -- something the recreation district hopes will continue.
