‘Lifeguard shortage’ sinks outdoor swimming programs in NYC: Parks

City swimmers’ plans for an outdoor summer swim are dead in the water.

Adult lap swim and other programs will not be returning to city pools as they open for the summer, the Parks Department said on Tuesday. The department blamed the cuts on a “national shortage of lifeguards,” which has been plaguing public pools nationwide since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The city’s ability to hire and retain lifeguards has yet to fully recover, the department said.

In a statement, the department said it determines annually which pools and beaches to staff according to the final number of lifeguards it is able to recruit. Based on daily head counts, it adjusts coverage as needed, the department said in a statement.

“Like the entire country, it’s been a challenge recruiting enough qualified people who can pass the NYC Lifeguard requirements, and pandemic impacts on recruitment continue,” NYC Parks spokeswoman Crystal Howard told Gothamist in a statement. “As we do every year, we are continuing to train and certify lifeguards up to the July 4th weekend.”

Outdoor pools will be open daily for general swim from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. starting Tuesday, June 28th.

In addition to adult lap, other programs impacted include senior swim, Learn to Swim, water aerobics, swim team and day camp, according to the department.

The Parks Department also canceled outdoor swim programs in 2021, saying the pandemic made it difficult to hire and train new lifeguards. The staffing shortage led some Rockaway Beach lifeguards to protest the grueling hours and potentially dangerous conditions.

Lifeguards work five to six days a week, and first-year lifeguards make at least $16 an hour, for a weekly salary of nearly $800, the department said in a recruitment email sent out in January.