Currently, only one City of Jackson pool is open for swimmers. See which one
With a heat wave burning through Mississippi in the recent weeks — and scientists reporting 2023 could be one of the Earth's hottest years on record — it makes you wonder: what is the status of the City of Jackson's public swimming pools?
According to Director of the City of Jackson Parks and Recreation Department Ison Harris, the only pool that is currently open is located at the Vine Street Park Facility, 318 Vine Street, Jackson. It is open to the public 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Saturday, but groups such as daycare or summer camps have been able to swim in the morning.
Residents can call and reserve pool time in the morning as well. Admission is $2 for people 17 years old and younger and $3 for people 18 years old and older.
Harris said the King Frazier splash pad is also open at Presidential Hills Park from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
Lifeguard shortages are to blame for other pools in the city being closed — an issue that is not only plaguing Jackson, but also at least one third of U.S. swimming pools. To try to combat this, the city approved a 46% pay increase for lifeguards earlier this year, raising the pay from $12 an hour to $20 an hour, Harris said. But the increase has been to no avail.
"This is kind of a national shortage," Harris said. "No one actually wants to be a lifeguard anymore, which is weird. But, obviously being in an outdoor pool in the Mississippi heat is probably not something that is conducive for it as well. We're just going to have to continue to find those people."
Harris said only four lifeguards are working for the city right now. The city has offered to pay those interested to train and become certified as lifeguards, but finding willing participants has not been successful. Some candidates have gone through the training process but didn't make it, Harris said.
More on lifeguard shortage: City officials uncertain when city swimming pools will open. See why
"We said, 'We'll pay for you to go through the process and then if you pass the test then you're a lifeguard,'" he said. "We were willing to pay for it, but it just hasn't worked out."
The good news is that more pools could possibly open before the end of summer.
"We actually have a couple more that are coming online now, so hopefully by the middle of next week we should have at least one or two more (pools) active," Harris said.
The pool schedule is subject to change, so visit the City of Jackson website for the most current schedule: www.jacksonms.gov.
This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Lifeguard shortages continue to be an issue for Jackson public pools
