City Hall slightly lowers lifeguard standards as summer staffing shortage looms
New York City is slightly lowering its qualifications for lifeguards at kiddie pools as it still struggles with summer staffing of water rescuers in the Big Apple.
Lifeguards who have failed to finish the 300-yard timed swim — one of the final and most grueling requirements — will now be able to man the stands at the city’s shallow-water pools.
The guards will still need all the other certifications in the 16-week training program, such as CPR, first aid and rescue skills.
“Today’s big win for public safety at our pools and beaches means we’ll be able to potentially hire more lifeguards for this summer and get even more in the pipeline for summers to come,” Mayor Eric Adams said outside City Hall Friday.
“We want every New Yorker to have a great summer of surf and sand.”
City Hall couldn’t say how many guards the change would add to the city’s pool and seaside workforce, which has struggled to attract enough qualified candidates.
Parks officials said earlier this week that the city only had just over a third of the lifeguards necessary to staff the Big Apple’s 14 miles of beaches, which open Saturday.
But the city has seen some progress in hiring, in part due to the boost in pay and bonuses, with more than 550 lifeguards in the pipeline, up from 375 in training last year.
NYC Parks Commissioner Sue Donoghue said Friday that the changes to the requirements were a long time coming.
“This new agreement comes in time to make an impact this year, and will also allow us to make the important structural changes needed and recommended by DOI to ensure that this program is run fairly and in the best interest of New Yorkers,” she said.
The qualification reduction for lifeguards at pools 5 feet deep and under came as a result of the contract arbitration with the guards union, DC-37, on Thursday, according to the mayor.
The arbitration also created a tiered vision requirement to allow more people who use contact lenses to apply as pool guards.
That change, however, won’t be in effect until next year.
Notably, no one from the union was at the announcement.
