‘We have a crisis going on here’
Lifeguard shortage puts pool, beach openings at risk
Milwaukee County’s lifeguard shortage puts some pool and beach openings at risk.
Milwaukee County Parks is seeking around 300 strong swimmers for lifeguard positions, and if they don't find them, some pools and beaches won't open this summer.
“We have four head lifeguards and that means we can only open four facilities,” said Jim Tarantino, director of recreation and business services with Milwaukee County Parks.
The lifeguard shortage has been a problem for years now. There has been a steady decrease over the last four years in the number of lifeguards the system has employed.
In 2017, the Parks Department had 202 lifeguards; in 2018 that declined to 177. The next year, the number of lifeguards on staff declined again to 131. The Parks Department had no lifeguards on staff during 2020 due to the pandemic.
Now, the Parks Department has just 52 lifeguards on staff. Tarantino said the shortage is in line with national trends.
“It seems like every community throughout the country is suffering through shortages as well,” Tarantino said.
The hiring freeze in 2020 led to many lifeguards finding other jobs, and competition with summer internships has also played a factor, Tarantino said.
“Swim ability is a major challenge as we need our applicants to be strong swimmers (100 meters in 1 minute and 45 seconds) and that skill is just lacking in our community right now,” said Tarantino.
The Parks Department is preparing for a particularly busy summer, and many in the restaurant, tourism and service industry say they expect a busy summer, too, as the pandemic loosens its grip. That will mean even more competition for available workers.
Overall, Milwaukee County Parks is seeking to fill over 500 seasonal positions, including at beer gardens, golf courses and botanical gardens. “It has been extremely hard to hire for seasonal employment,” Tarantino said.
Pools not opening this summer, regardless of staffing challenges, include: Grobschmidt Park, Hales Corners Park, Holler Park, Jackson Park and McCarty Park.
Pools likely to stay open include: Cool Waters in Greenfield Park, Schulz Aquatic Center in Lincoln Park, Sheridan Park and Wilson Park
The opening of Pelican Cove in Kosciuszko Park and Bradford Beach “remain in flux,” according to Tarantino.
“Looking at the requirements that it takes to be a lifeguard ... seems to me that 12 dollars an hour just isn’t requisite pay.”
Steven Shea County Supervisor, District 8
“I don’t disagree, these people are incredibly important. In general, we would love to pay our people more.”
director of recreation and business services with Milwaukee County Parks
However, last year Bradford Beach went without lifeguards and that remains a possibility this year.
“Bradford Beach, we will likely not have guards there this year; we did not have any guards last year, so that will be a challenge,” Tarantino said.
The skill set for guarding a beach is more difficult than guarding a pool and the Parks Department is working with law enforcement to increase safety.
There were 56 drownings on Lake Michigan in 2020, with some of those drownings happening in Wisconsin waters, according to the Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project.
McKinley Beach has been especially dangerous. There were at least four drownings at McKinley Beach in 2020, including a 14-year-old boy and 50-year-old man who tried to save the boy.
McKinley Beach will remain closed while the Parks Department conducts studies on the safety of the water, Tarantino said.
Lifeguard pay is $12.69 to $14.74 an hour with head guard pay ranging from $16.97 to $19.07 per hour.
Tarantino went before the Milwaukee County Parks committee on Tuesday where County Supervisor Steven Shea had objections to the pay.
“Looking at the requirements that it takes to be a lifeguard, there are some serious job requirements, seems to me that 12 dollars an hour just isn’t requisite pay,” Shea said.
“I don’t disagree, these people are incredibly important,” Tarantino said. “In general, we would love to pay our people more.”
Committee Chairman Sheldon Wasserman also suggested increasing pay.
“If we increased our pay three to five dollars an hour I think we could potentially get people from other jobs jumping in with us,” he said.
“We have a crisis going on here ... we have a summer coming and it’s going to be a hot summer, kids want to jump in the water, parents want their kids to be safe, they trust lifeguards,” Wasserman said.
To be considered for a lifeguard position, candidates must attend a free training session at Pulaski Pool, 2701 S. 16th St., and be able to swim 100 meters in less than 1 minute, 45 seconds. Lifeguards must be at least 16 years old by July 2021 and be in good physical condition.
People interested in applying for a seasonal position with the county, including lifeguard, can apply on the county’s job portal.