Chicago Park District ramps up summer lifeguard recruitment to keep city pools, beaches open

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Last summer, understaffing kept some Chicago Park District pools and beaches closed. This season, hundreds of lifeguards are needed to get back to full capacity.

Many prospective Chicago lifeguards are taking a swim test Friday, which includes a 200-yard swim and retrieving a mannequin in deep water. It's one of the first steps required to become a city lifeguard.

With the summer months quickly approaching, city leaders said they are optimistic about opening all of the city pools this year.

"It is right now, my most important task," said Chicago Park District Superintendent Rosa Escareno.

That task has kept Escareno busy, trying to recruit enough lifeguards to fully open pools and beaches with summer right around the corner.

"We are confident in our numbers, because we have double the number of applicants applying for the lifeguard job," Escareno said.

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The city needs 600 lifeguards to fully staff all 77 pools and 26 miles of beaches, Escareno said.

"Last year, we had half of that," Escareno said. "And, this is why last year, we couldn't open all the pools."

Alderman Raymond Lopez, who represents the 15th Ward, said he had pools in his ward unable to open because of the nationwide shortage last year.

"The pools in our neighborhoods are anchors for positivity and fun for our children, especially in a time when so much of what they see going on around them isn't positive for them," Lopez said.

For the first time, the city began recruiting lifeguards early this past fall.

The city has also laid out new incentives to hire guards. These include waiving the often costly lifeguard certification fees, tickets to Chicago Fire matches and one-day passes to Lollapalooza. Lifeguards also receive a $600 bonus and make $16.19 per hour.

"So, I'm telling this to every teen in the city. Particularly if you're a strong swimmer, it's a great job opportunity," said Chicago Fire Department First Deputy Mary Sheridan.

See also: Chicago area water parks, pools open for summer 2022

The Chicago Fire Department encouraged city teens to consider becoming lifeguards during a summer safety news conference Friday.

"There's a lot of police officers and firefighters that I know who were lifeguards, and they came back year after year after year because it's the great summer job in the city," Sheridan said.

"You have to want to help people," said RPM Lifeguard Training Instructor Ryan Teitelbaum.

Teitelbaum has trained 500 guards across Chicago's suburbs in two years, and he said the desire to serve is the most important trait a prospective lifeguard can have.

"It's not only changed me as a person for the better, it's also given me that experience in my personal life that I know what to do," Teitelbaum said. "When someone's in trouble, I can help them."