GATESVILLE, Texas (KXXV) — Though winter is far from over, the City of Gatesville is already preparing for the warmer months ahead. With a nationwide lifeguard shortage expected to continue, the city is actively looking for lifeguards to staff its community pool for the summer season.
The shortage is a growing concern across the United States. According to the American Lifeguard Association, last year, about a third of the nation’s 309,000 public pools were either closed or opened sporadically due to a lack of lifeguards.
“We’re fortunate here in Gatesville to have a lot of people in the community who want to be lifeguards, especially students,” Marte Bailey, the city's recreation supervisor for athletics and aquatics, said.
For Allyson Penrod, who has worked as a lifeguard for three summers, the job has been a rewarding experience.
“This is really the perfect summer job, honestly, for a high school kid,” Penrod said.
“One of the things about us being lifeguards is as you go throughout the summer you become really close with the people you work with – I know last year we all got into pickleball and would play after work – so you make a lot of really good friends as well being a lifeguard.”
Lifeguards are trained to recognize the signs of swimmers in distress and to respond quickly to potential accidents. Without proper training, Penrod said, it’s difficult to spot when a swimmer may be struggling.
“It’s different because you don’t understand like that – what you’re looking for, the signs of a stressed swimmer or a swimmer who’s maybe weaker – you learn all different choking, so being aware of those, constantly on stance, is really important,” Penrod said.
To meet the growing demand, the City of Gatesville is looking to hire between 15 and 20 lifeguards for the summer. The city hopes to fill all positions by the end of April.
Applications can be found on the city’s website.
