Houston wants lifeguards to open almost all city pools

Usually, more hot water is a bad thing for city leaders, but a plan to open nearly all city pools this summer got a warm welcome this week from some city council members.

The Houston Parks and Recreation Department just needs young people to do it.

“We need lifeguards,” said Matt Musil, a spokesman for the city parks department.

As in previous years, the days and locations of public pools will be determined by the number of lifeguards Houston can attract. For two summers, lack of staff has led to the closure of swimming pools and even forced those open to operate on a staggered basis.

Two years ago, only 14 of the 38 outdoor pools in Houston parks opened. Last year, 24 people did so, but only three days a week, with lifeguards moving from park to park to widen access.

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The absence of short trips to free public pools – and only on certain days – was felt acutely in parts of the city, where community leaders lamented the loss of children who could not afford to go in private swimming pools and water parks.

As a result, the announcement that officials hoped to open them all was welcomed by many, including Houston District B council member Tarsha Jackson.

“This is going to be a great summer for our kids,” Jackson said Wednesday during the board’s end-of-meeting comment period.

She joked after advocating for swim openings and lessons in the community she should take the plunge just to show her support.

Parks managers simply need to follow staffing plans. The magic number of rescuers needed is 187, officials said. With so many lifeguards and some retention, parks staff said they could implement their plans.

Houston Parks has 38 outdoor pools, as well as an indoor pool at the Metropolitan Multi-Service Center in West Gray, open year-round but only open to people with disabilities for adaptive exercise.

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Among the outdoor swimming pools, two are currently undergoing maintenance. The pool at Memorial Park is expected to open by the third week of June, according to officials. The Tidwell Park swimming pool will be closed all summer.

The swimming season begins on May 25, when all pools will be open on weekends until June 9. The staff is already prepared for this, Musil said.

What’s uncertain is how many pools and on what days Houstonians will be able to beat the heat starting June 11. The day after Houston schools let out June 5, pools that can will be open six days a week. All Houston pools are closed on Mondays.

Since more lifeguards are high school and college students, completing classes helps fill vacant positions. However, anyone can become a lifeguard in Houston if they are 16 or older, meet typical city employee criteria such as a background check and drug test, pass the supervised swim test by the city and complete a certification course taught by Parks Department staff. .

However, recruiting lifeguards is a difficult task. Nationally, since the COVID-19 pandemic, cities across the country have struggled to recruit and retain lifeguards. As a result, many have lowered their standards, sometimes allowing lifeguards to be as young as 15, increasing hourly pay and starting recruiting even earlier in the year.

In Houston, to attract applicants, officials offered bonuses simply for passing the swim test to become a lifeguard and completing training. Lifeguard pay has increased slightly, to between $16 and $20 an hour, depending on experience. And this year, officials are also offering a second bonus for completing the entire summer of service.

Parks officials still have a little more time to assess how many pools will open on June 11. They are training rescuers and welcoming more, and want to bring in as many as possible before making a final decision on opening the gates. Although not all pools are open by mid-June, others could open later in the summer if staff allows, Musil said.

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In some neighborhoods, including many in the Jackson Municipal District, swimming pools are essential summer attractions for children between school years.

“Without it, a lot of people are working and young people have nowhere to go,” she said.

In recent years, parks officials have committed to opening pools in all municipal districts. Jackson questioned whether neighborhoods with fewer resources should receive more attention.

“We don’t have backyard pools or other options,” she said. “I want them to be fair, but not equal, in how they decide. »

If pools can only open on certain days, Jackson said she would like to see the city — even within its own city staff — find other groups or nonprofits to fill the days when pools are closed .

“We just need to make sure there’s something available,” she said.