A Hotter Summer and Fewer Lifeguards, A Growing Issue For New York City

With summer fast approaching in the northern climes of the United States, many people look forward to a relaxing day cooling off at their local pool or beach. Yet for the most populous city in the country, they may not be able to. It’s not because of COVID shutting down pools again or contaminated water but rather a staffing issue. New York City is facing a very daunting shortage of lifeguards.

According to a New York Times article, the city currently has around one-third of the number of lifeguards they need to fully operate their pools and beaches. The Parks Department states that they currently have only 500 lifeguards to staff their 53 outdoor pools and 14 miles of beaches.

This shortage is not confined to New York City alone, however. The Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation, which runs its state parks, beaches, and pools, was offering sign-on bonuses as high as $500 in addition to the starting hourly rate of $22.00 (as listed on their website).

In 2021, New Jersey State Parks had to prohibit swimming at four state park lakes due to a lifeguard shortage, so they have allowed 15-year-olds to apply as ‘junior’ lifeguards. A SwimSwam article published in January of this year noted that the city of Philadelphia, in anticipation of a lifeguard shortage, was offering free swim lessons to applicants leading up to the summer season. The city did note that they would not hire applicants who had not passed the mandated screening swim test or obtained a lifeguarding certification.

The lifeguard shortage isn’t even confined to the United States, just last week the government of Ontario moved the age requirement to 15 years old from the previous 16. New Orleans too has their age limit set at 15 in hopes of attracting more guards.

What makes this lifeguard shortage even more pressing is the need to be able to cool off. Predicting the weather is hard, just ask your local meteorologist the next time you get 19 inches of snow while you were predicted to be in the 8–12-inch band. But on May 18, 2023, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) predicting that most states are expected to have a hotter-than-average summer, that need is compounded, especially in urban heat islands.

Dated 05/18/23, NOAA’s June 2023 – August 2023 U.S. seasonal temperature outlook | #natgas #businessenergy #energyprocurement pic.twitter.com/ToVkGyjy3c

— Bradley Foster (@Brad_E_Foster) May 18, 2023

Urban heat Islands are locations in which temperatures are greater than those surrounding them due to the myriad of concrete and metal and lack of vegetation. Cities like New Orleans, Newark and New York City, top the list of urban heat islands, with all three cities being at least 7.5℉ warmer than surrounding areas. If you want to know more about heat islands and what causes them, this report by Climate Central is very helpful.

What makes New York City stand out even more than being an urban heat island, and short on lifeguards, is the process it takes to become one of the city’s guards. To begin with, you must complete a qualifying test to even be allowed to take their lifeguard training program. The city does not allow outside lifeguard accreditation, like from a YMCA or Red Cross program.

Their requirements, taken from the city’s website are as follows:

• Be at least 16 years of age by the start of employment (the end of June)
• Have at least 20/30 vision in one eye and 20/40 in the other, without corrective lenses (glasses and contact lenses cannot be worn during the eye exam)
• Be able to swim 50 yards in 35 seconds or less with proper form
• Bring a bathing suit, a towel, and a lock (for your locker), and wear a face covering in the building. Goggles are optional

If you’ve made it through those barriers, you then are enrolled in a 16-week 40-hour program of swimming and instruction on how to be a lifeguard, the program is free however. In 2022, of the 900 applicants who tried the initial swim test, less than 250 passed. This year due to complaints and most likely an expected shortage, they increased the time limit to 45 seconds and also allowed the applicants to know their times, as opposed to the previous policy of it being either a pass or fail.

But changing the test requirements and increasing the hourly rate from $16.10 to $21.26 for newer guards, might not be enough to attract the attention of prospective guards. The city also has to contend with unions. Local 461 and Local 508 represent lifeguards and supervisors respectively and are a part of District Council 37, one of New York’s largest municipal unions. A council that was described as a “Tammany Hall by the Sea” in a 2020 New York Magazine article.

Whether it is navigating the hard qualifications, putting your life on the line, working for low pay, a sometimes-ungrateful clientele, or dealing with the workings of a major labor union lifeguarding in New York City should not be taken lightly. But as someone that spent eight summers on a waterfront, it can certainly be worth it.

It should be noted that the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation website currently has a banner stating that there are currently no lifeguard qualifying tests open at this time, so perhaps they have enough applicants in the 16-week course to be fully staffed by the time the pools open on June 29th.

If you or someone you know is looking into lifeguarding jobs please contact your local pool, parks department or the Red Cross to see if and where there are job openings or training courses.