ROCHESTER, N.Y. – City leaders announced that all five Rochester City pools will be open this summer for the first time since the pandemic. This development comes as the city has successfully recruited enough lifeguards to staff the pools.
Mayor Malik Evans said this is the first time in years they have had enough lifeguards to staff the pools. The city’s aquatics department began recruiting in January.
Mike Corey, the city’s coordinator of athletics and aquatics, emphasized the importance of having all five pools open.
“This is going to be the first time in about six years, or since the pandemic, since we got all our pools open, so we got community pools opening for people,” said Corey. “You know transportation sometimes is an issue with people, now we have them opening up in the community so people can walk and have access to pools.”
The city recruited lifeguards by visiting local high schools during lunch hours and speaking with students. Interested individuals could sign up immediately. Last year, the city introduced a lifeguard development course to teach basic swimming skills, which helped address the shortage.
Raejon Ridgeway, who has been a lifeguard for three years, said it has been hard in year’s past without enough staff.
“It was kind of rough in the numbers you know a lot of people were scared to come outside….scared to come to pools or didn’t think that they were open,” said Ridgeway. “So it was kind of rough. That was our rough patch. But now we’re getting back into you know, getting people out there, spreading the word about the pools being open.”
City pools will open on June 30 and remain open through early September. Swimming lessons for kids aged 6 to 17 will start on July 7, offering six levels from beginner to advanced.
The city pays lifeguards $20 an hour, which has also helped alleviate previous staffing shortages.
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