Lifeguard shortage causes hiccup in Marseilles pool opening

A lifeguard shortage had Marseilles swimming pool management sweating.

Until Monday, the city didn’t have enough lifeguards on staff to open the pool for the summer, then the Marseilles Park Board received eight applications for the job.

Members of the park board spent Monday recruiting new talent and working toward a plan to open the pool.

Commissioner Jim Buckingham said the applicants will have to go through a course with the YMCA to become certified. Once they’re certified, the pool can open.

“The course costs about $300, which the Park Board will cover in hopes the lifeguards stay here all summer,” Buckingham said. “I’m willing to pay for it. That pool has been there for 63 years and everybody wants it open.”

Marseilles isn’t the only city that’s seen issues recruiting certified lifeguards to work at its city pool: La Salle isn’t lacking, but it’s seen fewer applicants than usual this summer.

“We’re never turning down lifeguards as long as they’re certified,” Kasik said. “That’s the problem. Sports are running longer: Baseball, track and tennis, that hurts a little and I think there’s not a lot of classes being offered. It’s a three-day class.”

Kasik said classes in Hennepin or at the YMCAs are hit-or-miss, and anyone who wants to be a lifeguard is out of luck if they aren’t available when the classes are scheduled.

The Veterans Memorial Pool in La Salle opened this past weekend, and Kasik said it has enough guards to function but it can always use more.

The Marseilles pool isn’t open yet, but it will be once the lifeguards are properly trained and ready for the summer.

“I think what the whole thing was COVID-19 last year,” Buckingham said. “I’ll see it on WGN and Channel 5 (the Chicago NBC affiliate). We’re not the only ones having this problem. I think for the kids, it’s because the licenses expired and they’re only licensed for two years.”

Buckingham said if lifeguards were licensed two years ago, they have to renew it and retake the course for this year.

He said the pool is going to need at least seven lifeguards staffed in case anyone gets sick or a family goes on vacation, because the state requires a minor can’t work more than 40 hours.

“I’m urging everybody right now if they want to talk to their kids, it’s a good part-time job with flexible hours,” Buckingham said. “$11 per hour for a kid is pretty good money.”

Ottawa, meanwhile, isn’t short on lifeguards but Commissioner Marla Rodriguez said Riordan Pool could always use more. A start date has not yet been decided but she said it looks like it could be tentatively June 11.