Summer’s just around the corner, and there are still plenty of openings for lifeguards at D.C.-area universities, recreational departments and neighborhood pools.
Robin Riley, director for Montgomery County’s Department of Recreation, said the Maryland county’s 11 pools — seven outdoor facilities and four aquatic centers — are ready for the start of the summer season.
“We think we’re in good shape for the weekends coming up,” said Riley, but the department is still hiring for that surge once schools let out and summer camps begin in June.
The hiring process begins at Thanksgiving, Riley said, and there are a number of ways the county works to make sure there’s a large pool of applicants to work as lifeguards throughout the summer and beyond.
“All of our lifeguard classes are full,” Riley said. “We reduced the price of those classes, and we even offered free classes for those who were willing to sign on and work for us.”
There are perks to the popular job that have not changed.
“You’re outdoors, you get to swim, you get to splash around,” Riley said.
But there are things that have changed, including the lifesaving skills needed for the job. One of the changes, said Riley, “is having Narcan available at all of our facilities, so that if there’s a situation where that’s needed, our staff have it accessible to them, and they’ve been trained on how to administer it.”
Riley said the county’s efforts to have young people trained to administer Narcan is something she’s seen when attending some of the public outreach events.
“It’s remarkable to see how many young people are there, interested in learning and feeling like they can help.” She continued, “That’s a very positive thing.”
Riley said the county is also working with municipalities, including Rockville and Gaithersburg, on the same goal of having full staffs for pool season “to make sure that kids that want to work can work closer to home.”
Riley said that now, the big push is to make sure that the county is fully staffed for all of its summer camps, as well as the pools and aquatic centers. At last count, Riley said there were 310 vacant slots for both.
“For pools, it’s about 100,” Riley said, although the number continues to change as more people apply and summer approaches.
For more information on how and where to apply, visit the Montgomery County employment website to see the lifeguard positions.
