TULSA — Year after year, municipal swimming pools across the country struggle to fill lifeguard positions.
Nick Pond is Aquatics Coordinator for the City of Tulsa, and he tells KRMG that’s certainly the case locally.
[Hear our KRMG In-Depth Report with Nick Pond HERE]
However, time is running out - the pools open August 3rd, and that leaves him only the Memorial Day weekend to get as many guards certified as possible.
With the help of a donation from the Tulsa County Bar Association, he’s offering free lifeguard certification for those who are willing to commit to working the nine-week summer pool schedule.
Lifeguard certification, he tells KRMG, can run as much as $300, so he’s hoping the free offer will incentivize applicants.
“I would say the hardest part about the job is just getting them to apply, and getting them to come in for an interview,” Pond tells KRMG. “That’s the part they like the least. Once they’re at the pool, and once they’re working, it’s an easy job. You’re only on the stand half the time you’re there, the other half the time you’re in the guard room with people, your friends your age.”