Woodville didn't have enough lifeguards to open its pool in 2023. How does 2024 shape up?

The Village of Woodville is looking at ways to recruit lifeguards for this coming summer after the village pool was unable to open in 2023.

Recruitment efforts for 2023 yielded only one application, a person not certified to be a lifeguard. The village has not received any applications yet for 2024 even with early recruitment efforts.

According to the National Lifeguard Association, the shortage of lifeguards has been an ongoing situation for several years. This resulted in about one-third of the country’s more than 300,000 pools to either remain closed or drastically reduce hours in 2023.

One reason for the shortage is competition from employers such as restaurants and retail businesses that have increased wages, making those jobs more attractive.

“Adults are welcome as well,” said Lori Damschroder, pool manager at Woodville for 10 years. “I didn’t start lifeguarding until I was in my forties. And I’m still going strong.”Years ago, pools were able to remain open through the Labor Day weekend, but no more. With the beginning of the school year having shifted into August, and many lifeguards heading off to college, there is not enough staff available those final few weeks of the season.

Woodville Councilman Earl Ransom said the village is looking to hire a minimum of 10 guards with a minimum age of 15 who can pass certification, as well as an assistant manager.

Fiscal Officer Barb Runion said council will need to decide by the first meeting in May whether to open the pool for the season, as chemicals need to be ordered and an inspection by the Sandusky County Health Department needs to be completed first.“We buy the license from the health department every year, even if the pool doesn’t open,” Runion said. “It costs $900 for the inspection and the license, but we don’t want to have to start over, which would cost even more.”

Half of certification fees for those hired will be refunded at the end of the season. Guards are refunded the other half if they return for a second year. The village supplies lifeguards with equipment including a whistle, swimsuit and t-shirt.

“The Red Cross is usually the main option along with local YMCAs that certify,” Damschroder said. “Anyone who is interested needs to get signed up now as these classes fill up quickly.”

Certification classes are also available at Bowling Green State University and University of Toledo.

YMCA in Fremont offers certification sessions for lifeguards

The YMCA of Sandusky County has eight sessions available from March through June. The course is a combination of 7 hours of online and 20 hours of in-person instruction. Eligibility includes swimming 300 yards on belly, treading water for a minimum of 2 minutes without using hands and diving at least 9 feet to retrieve an object. Throughout the course, students are asked to perform a series of tasks to demonstrate scanning and lifesaving lifeguard skills.Some pools will offer on-site courses if there is enough interest. However, if the pool is outdoors, the classes cannot be offered until at least mid-May.

Clyde Aquatic Center also faces challenges

For the Clyde Aquatic Center, it’s a challenge every year to hire enough guards, and they typically need to reduce hours at the end of the season. Fortunately, they were able to fully staff their pool for the 2023 season.

The CAC attempts to hire 14 to 16 lifeguards at the beginning of the season and have at least four on duty when open. Guards are reimbursed for their certification if they complete the full season. Minimum age for guards is 16.

“One of the reasons we have always been able to hire enough lifeguards at Clyde is that we have always had a schoolteacher as the pool manager who has at least some contact with the kids all year long,” said Jim Mason, superintendent of the Parks Department.

Fremont Rec Center had to close water features due to staffing

The pool at the Fremont Recreations Center was able to fully open in 2023, although some of the water features were occasionally closed.

“We definitely expect challenges in finding enough guards this year,” said Cody Bischoff, Fremont’s recreation superintendent. “Last year was a struggle, but if we can bring back guards from last summer we’ll be in pretty good shape."

Fremont sets up and offers training for potential lifeguards. They will host classes and pay for certification for those who commit to working at the rec center, provided they pass the training. Anyone who plans to work at another facility can take the classes but must pay the fees themselves.

“It’s not an issue that is going away anytime soon. Hundreds and thousands of pools across the country were closed last year,” Bischoff said. “We consider ourselves fortunate that we were able to open.”

All three facilities advertise for lifeguards via newspapers, websites, social media, and posting the jobs at local high schools. Fremont and Clyde have the added advantage of being able to recruit teens participating on their community swim teams. They all plan to start recruiting earlier than usual this year.

Woodville hopes to hire enough lifeguards to be open seven days a week, but if they do not receive enough applications hours will need to be reduced, or worse, the pool will remain closed for another season.

“Our community pool is a safe and fun place for the children of the area to hang out during the summer. The pool allows for family rentals for parties and even special events hosted by the library,” Ransom said. “Working together to ensure the opening of our pool will be a great benefit to Woodville.”

Information on Red Cross certification courses can be found at redcross.org/take-a-class/lifeguarding. To register for classes at the YMCA in Fremont, visit bit.ly/freymca or call 419-332-9622. Certification is valid for two years.

Contact Rene Dix at 419-307-0914 or via email at rene.dix@email.com.

This article originally appeared on Fremont News-Messenger: Woodville OH, other pools make recruiting push for scarce lifeguards