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NYC treading water as lifeguard shortage lingers for another summer
By
Liam Quigley
Published Jun 19, 2024
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By
Liam Quigley
Published Jun 19, 2024
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New York City is facing another dire lifeguard shortage this summer, raising the likelihood that swimmers' access to pools and beaches across the five boroughs will once again be limited.
Data from the parks department shows there were 310 lifeguards at the city’s beaches as of Tuesday, but city officials said 600 are needed to keep them all open for safe swimming. The department has 180 lifeguards ready to work at the city’s 50 public outdoor pools when they open on June 27, while 400 are needed to cover every facility.
Parks officials said they will continue to recertify and hire more lifeguards through July 4. Short staffing required some sections of pools to be closed off last summer, and officials warned the same could happen this year.
The lifeguard shortage has plagued the city for years, leading to pool closures and restricted beach access. It’s a national problem, but New York City’s lifeguard shortage is owed in part to an entrenched union that until recently dominated the process for training lifeguards.
Adult lap swim programming has remained absent from pools citywide since 2020. Parks department representatives did not say whether the program would return this year.
The city’s pools won’t be open in time for the heat wave hitting the city over the Juneteenth holiday. Deputy Mayor for Operations Meera Joshi said during a news conference on Monday they’d have to stay closed until they’re scheduled to open next week because the parks department is “making sure the filtration systems work and making sure they're adequately staffed.”
City officials recently loosened requirements for certifying some lifeguards, and the parks department has also gained some more control over the training process for new lifeguards. The city also raised lifeguards' hourly pay and offered $1,000 bonuses to reel in more workers.
And while the lifeguard problems could limit swimming access throughout summer, there may be some hope on the horizon, according to Janet Fash, a chief lifeguard who has openly fought her own DC 37 union officials over the training process for lifeguards.
An arbitrator stepped in last month in the battle between the city and DC 37, loosening the union’s grip on the training and recertification process for lifeguards which city officials said had hamstrung their efforts to increase staffing at pools and beaches.
DC 37 did not respond to a request for comment.
“I’m hoping that both the New Yorkers and the lifeguards will now be treated with more respect and honesty and integrity,” she said. “It's still a great job. And once your feet hit the sand, you love the job and people that get other jobs, they turn around and they go, ‘I missed that lifeguarding job.’”
When pool season debuts in the city, Queens residents will be able to return to the Olympic-sized Astoria Pool, which was closed last summer for renovations. Meanwhile, three Manhattan pools — Central Park's Harlem Meer, the Tony Dapolito Pool and Tompkins Square Park — won't reopen this year due to construction.
The exact number of lifeguards ready to watch over city pools won’t be revealed until opening day, according to a parks department spokesperson.
There’s also strong demand for swimming lessons, with all 94 learn to swim events across the city for the spring fully booked as of Tuesday.
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parks
Liam Quigley
Liam Quigley is a reporter covering parks & sanitation for Gothamist and WNYC. Got a tip? Email [email protected]
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