Milwaukee County Parks lifeguard training hopes to address shortage
MILWAUKEE - Milwaukee County Parks has dealt with a lifeguard shortage the past few years, leading some pools to remain closed in the summer.
Ahead of the upcoming season, lifeguard recruiting and training is already underway with the goal of turning things around.
"Who doesn’t want to be a lifeguard in the summer?" said Lance Zaug. "It’s a lot of fun. I’d say it’s like easy money. It doesn’t really feel like work."
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For Zaug, swimming isn’t just a pastime – it’s a paycheck. He started as a county lifeguard roughly three years ago, but a new wave of potential lifeguards arrived Saturday for an in-water training session.
"If we don’t get enough lifeguards, we don’t get to open all of our pools and keep our indoor pools open in the summer," said Andrea Wallace with Milwaukee County Parks.
Milwaukee County Parks lifeguard training for 2024 season
To keep pools open and staffed this summer, the county is holding sessions like Saturday's at the Pulaski and Noyes pools. Sessions continue through spring.
"We’ve set our sights on 150-200 guards, so that we're able to open the pools in all the communities," Wallace said.
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The county said, to qualify for training, candidates must be at least 16 years old by the time of hire, in good physical condition, and able to swim 100 meters in less than 1 minute 45 seconds.
Lifeguards don’t just sit in chairs above pools. They are often in the water, connecting with people of all ages to improve their swimming ability.
Milwaukee County Parks lifeguards needed in 2024; starting pay $17.13/hour
Milwaukee County Parks are offering a number of free courses over the next few months and are in need of qualified lifeguard candidates.
"It keeps people safe around the water, it gets people comfortable around the water," said Wallace.
Lifeguard pay for the 2024 season starts at $17.13 per hour. Milwaukee County Parks also offers incentives and bonuses.
"If you’re looking for something to do in the summer, something to pick up, this is definitely something," Zaug said.