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City, YMCA join efforts to get more lifeguards for Wilson pools




Mary Fisher, aquatics director at the Foundation YMCA, walks between pools last week. Drew C. Wilson | Times

The city of Wilson and the Foundation YMCA have signed an aquatics facilities partnership agreement to address the shortage of certified lifeguards. They will share from a collective group of lifeguards and offer a free initial screening test for lifeguard candidates.

“We have all been hit by the lifeguard shortage, but we are all trying to get that taken care of,” said Mary Fisher, aquatics director at the Foundation YMCA.



The shortage has resulted in pools not being able to open consistently and fewer swimming lessons being offered.

“Because of the national lifeguard shortage, we are partnering in an effort to increase the number of certified lifeguards and to make sure that both of our facilities are adequately staffed,” said Kathie Davis, executive director of the Foundation YMCA. 

Jonson Etheridge, aquatics supervisor for the city’s parks and recreation department, said she started to see a decrease in the number of available certified lifeguards before the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I noticed that the numbers of kids on swim teams are going down, and then lifeguard certifications started going down,” Etheridge said. “COVID just knocked it out completely. They didn’t offer any certification classes or re-certification classes for almost two years.”

The young people in the regular pipeline of lifeguard applicants moved on, graduated or took other jobs.

IMPACT ON FACILITIES

“We had to be closed for a couple of hours a couple of days because we did not have enough lifeguards and because we are so committed to aquatic safety,” Davis said. “We want to make sure that we have two people in the pool at all times in the event that there does need to be a rescue. You need to have more than one lifeguard in there available to help.”

Etheridge said the lifeguard shortage has affected the city when it comes to opening pools at the Wilson Recreation Center and Reid Street Community Center at the same time.

“Typically, to open all four of my pools at rec park, I need eight lifeguards, and I need two at Reid Street,” Etheridge said. “So I need 10 to open both facilities. The problem is I didn’t have many days last summer where even 10 people signed up to work. I kind of have to take it day by day with the amount of guards. If I have two guards one day, I can open Reid Street. If I have four or five, I can open the Rec, so we have taken a huge hit.”  

SWIM LESSONS AFFECTED

The summer before COVID-19, the city had about 43 swim instructors available. 

“We had the highest participation we had in many years,” Etheridge said. “And after that, last year, last summer, I had about nine swim instructors.” 

Etheridge said the problem grew in the two years when people were not taking swim lessons.

“You can’t teach swim lessons if you don’t know how to swim,” Etheridge said. “You are not having the high school swim teams to really get the experience on that, so we have to just lower the number of participants to just meet the instructors that we are going to be able to have.”

Lifeguards Catarina Wiggins, left, and Noah Wilkins, right, watch over the Wilson Recreation Center pool on April 25. Drew C. Wilson | Times

FINDING SOLUTIONS

Fisher said she is excited about the aquatic facilities partnership drawn up by the city of Wilson.  

“We will be not only be working to get people trained, but we are also going to try to get as many guards as possible trained and hired on at both facilities,” Fisher said. 

If the city pools are running low on staff, the YMCA will be able to send over available lifeguards and vice versa.

“I know for us, those early mornings and evenings are going to be difficult, and I know that for them, those middle days are going to be difficult,” Fisher said. “We are hoping to get coverage from as many angles as possible.”

Currently, Fisher said the YMCA has 17 to 18 certified guards.

On April 23, seven potential guards completed the American Red Cross Lifeguard Certification Course at the YMCA, making them certified and available. 

FREE PREREQUISITE TEST 

The Foundation YMCA is offering a free prerequisite test for potential lifeguards on Saturday. The tests will be offered between 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. and take a short time to complete.

“If you know of anyone who is 15 or older and is interested and can swim, we can get them out here and work with them, and hopefully we can get some new lifeguards for all of us this summer,” Fisher said.

The test has three parts: a 300-yard swim, a brick retrieval test and a legs-only water tread. More specific details can be found at www.wilsonymca.org under “program aquatics lifeguard certification.”

Those who pass the free test will then be eligible to sign up for the American Red Cross Lifeguard Certification Course, which typically costs about $210.

The lifeguard shortage was mentioned during the Wilson City Council’s April meeting.

Starting lifeguards at both in the city and at the YMCA make about $12 per hour. Those who offer private swimming lessons can make much more.

“Mary and Jonson working together, it is a huge thing for our community,” said David Lee, Wilson parks and recreation director. “Obviously, there’s not but so many lifeguards around. It’s a good partnership, and I think it is going to benefit everybody.”

Davis said the YMCA and the city will work with with Wilson County Schools to reinstate the second grade swimming program in the upcoming school year.

Etheridge and Fisher said teaching people how to swim is vital.

“Aquatic safety is everything. It is not just at a pool. It could be at a blow-up pool in the backyard. It could be at a lake. It could be at the beach. It could be the way these roads flood during the rains. It could be any situation,” Fisher said. “Just knowing how to get yourself into a safe situation is critical, especially with it being such a high cause of death for people of all ages, really, but especially our young people.”

To contact Fisher, call 252-291-9622, extension 277, or email her at mfisher@wilsonymca.org. To reach Etheridge, call 252-399-2268 or email her at jetheridge@wilsonnc.org.