CLEVELAND — As we approach the start of summer, the listings for lifeguard positions are still up at many local beaches and pools.

What You Need To Know

  • Lifeguards are an essential part of keeping summer fun safe, but not enough people are taking on the job

  • There are still listings for lifeguard jobs at many local pools and beaches

  • Aquatic directors and others must fill in the gaps when lifeguards don't work

Lifeguards are an essential part of keeping summer fun safe, but not enough people are taking on the job.

Tyler Thompson, aquatic director at the North Royalton YMCA, said he’s had to work very hard to hire and retain his lifeguards.

“So the first two months of me being aquatic director, I was lifeguarding like 55 hours a week just to keep the pool open,” he said.

Since then, Thompson said he’s been able to recruit lifeguards to keep his facility open for normal hours, but he said other branches of the YMCA have had to cut back on hours because of short staffing.

“Without lifeguards, we can’t have swim teams, which obviously a lot of the kids enjoy doing,” Thompson said. “So lifeguards are an absolute must at every facility.”

He said in order to recruit more guards, the YMCA has increased pay from $10 to $12 an hour, and they offer free lifeguarding courses.

“We certainly need guards all across the association,” he said. “As I was saying before, without guards, we can’t keep the pool open. We can’t have swim lessons. So, guards are definitely a must.”

They are currently hiring lifeguards at many branches of the Greater Cleveland YMCA.

There are also job postings for lifeguards at several beaches managed by the Cleveland Metroparks.

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