Staffing shortage warning; county pools likely to be impacted
BROOKFIELD, Wis. - Summer is right around the corner. But there are warning signs of a staffing shortage that could keep some of your favorite places closed. Milwaukee County officials say it is likely only some of the county's polls will open – just like in 2021.
The pools will soon be filled with kids. But will the lifeguard stations be empty?
"There's you know, a nationwide shortage for workers and, we definitely have seen the impacts appear right here," said Emily Heller, Waukesha County Parks and Land Use.
Waukesha County in 2021 had enough lifeguards to watch Fox Brook Park waters.
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"We know that there's a shortage, and we know that we're competing for top talent in the area, and we want to show that this is a great place to work as well," Heller said.
Emily Heller
The problem is not isolated to southeast Wisconsin. The American Lifeguard Association tells FOX6 News a third of U.S. polls and beaches might be forced to cut hours, limit swim classes, rotate days open, or even stay closed.
Milwaukee County's starting pay for lifeguards is $15.82 an hour. Waukesha starts at $10.55 an hour. But officials are hoping to expand the pool of guards with flexible hours.
"The flexibility that's something different that we've done this year is opening up the positions a little bit more, a lot of our candidates are busy, and that's tends to be the trend right now for hiring people have busy lives and things to do. So we'd like to be able to flex time for them, so they can work the hours they need to, and we still get the staff we need," Heller said.
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It is not just a job of high school and college kids. The American Lifeguard Association also said retirees could make good lifeguards.
The association also says the shortage has been more than a decade in the making. The pandemic closures meant a backlog of people not getting certified. Now, with the possibility that some places might have to cancel swim lessons, the group worries the pool of qualified swimmers in the future will shrink even further.