Central Ohio pools look to hire more lifeguards ahead of summer

WESTERVILLE, Ohio (WCMH) – With Memorial Day weekend kicking off the unofficial start of summer, many pools are set to open, but some communities in central Ohio still need those workers that keep pools afloat.

The City of Westerville is still looking to add staff to its fleet of lifeguards as Ohio begins to roll into the summer months.

"As it stands right now, we have enough lifeguards to safely run our current operations, but we are always pushing for more lifeguards," said special projects administrator David Chambers with Westerville Parks and Recreation. 

Chambers told NBC4 the hope is with more staff, they can expand hours and other aquatic services, in addition to fostering a more flexible work life balance for employees.

"It's not even necessarily about a number of lifeguards that we need," Chambers said. "It's more of the additional shifts and hours that we would like to expand."

The City of Westerville staffs three pools, two outside that open during the summer months and one indoor that's open year-round.

Chambers said having more lifeguards can help the city be more adaptive to the crowds that are often based on weather.

"When things are hot and sunny and 90 outside, you get a lot more people that want to come to the outdoor pool," he said. "Which allows us to have some of the resources, our indoor pool that might not be quite as crowded to move staff over there."

While lifeguards are there to monitor the water, Chambers reminds that pool patrons need to prioritize safety too.

"What we ask is that anyone that comes to the pool, the number one safety tip we can offer them, is to know your own swimming ability, and especially if you have younger children to know their swimming ability," he said. 

NBC4 reached out to other central Ohio pools. Some said they're fully staffed but others like the City of Columbus said they're also still hiring lifeguards for its eight outdoor pools.