Santa Fe hopes lifeguard hiring event can put it on fast track to ending shortage
Oct. 11—Brothers Elias and Diego Rael plunged 13 feet underwater to retrieve a 10-pound brick from the bottom of the Genoveva Chavez Community Center pool as part of a test to see if they had the skills to become a lifeguard.
Elias, 17, and Diego, 15, were taking part in a lifeguard recruitment event for the city of Santa Fe last weekend, testing the limits of their swimming abilities to see if they could get the job.
"I think it's a good opportunity, and you know, it can help a lot in the future," Diego said. "And it just seems like it'll be a lot of fun."
Fun is at a premium at city pools, which have faced a lack of lifeguards in recent years. The recruitment push, officials said, was aimed at upping the numbers of lifeguards — who long have been critical to pools' safety.
The brothers said they have been swimming at the Genoveva Chavez Community Center pool for as long as they can remember. Their parents eventually convinced them to try out at the event and see if they can get a job at the same place they swam at as young children.
Natatorium Manager Matt Cottle said while the event was pointed toward addressing the city's lifeguard shortage, it also pushed to teach people in the community about the profession of aquatics.
"We've seen significant shortages over the last decade," Cottle said. "COVID put that shortage under a microscope. You're seeing much less people interested in working overall, but also very high numbers of shortages and vacancies within recreation and aquatics."
To pass the test, potential lifeguards need to do a 300-yard swim using a freestyle and breaststroke, tread water for two minutes and retrieve a 10-pound weight from the bottom of the pool.
Cottle said the city's pools range in depth, so it isn't necessary for all lifeguards to be able to dive to the depths of the Genoveva Chavez Community Center's Olympic-sized pool. In order to get lifeguard certified, swimmers must be able to retrieve a 10-pound weight from 9 feet deep.
Though even some of the strongest swimmers struggle with parts of the test, Cottle said its main purpose is to see if applicants have the potential to go through training.
"It just gives us an introduction to who people are and what they're about and what they might be able to contribute to our organization," Cottle said.
Those who are already lifeguard certified could apply without needing to take the test. Those who aren't certified will be able to get paid training once they are hired. Cottle said the training allows them to take in swimmers of many skill levels.
"We see swimmers who are on swim teams, but we have the flexibility to take someone who needs some swimming lessons and some refinements," Cottle said.
If they get hired, the Rael brothers and their fellow applicants will get the option of working at any city pool, including those at the Fort Marcy Recreation Complex and the Salvador Perez Recreational Center.
Diego Rael said he hopes to take the opportunity to refine his swimming skills and help prepare him to attend the U.S. Naval Academy.
"He's going to need to know how to swim efficiently in the Navy," Cottle said. "This would be a great stepping stone to get him there."
