Around the world, the ranks of lifeguards are draining faster than a pool in October. By some accounts, this shortage of lifeguards affects more than 33% of all pools in the United States, leading to curtailed hours, reduced programs, and in some cases, outright closures. This phenomenon is not restricted to the United States alone; around the world, pool operators are encountering difficulties in beefing up their ranks, from lifeguards to maintenance staff. The lack of lifeguards doesn’t just affect public pools. It extends to private pools, beaches, and private institutions like fitness centers that offer aquatic amenities.
The drain on lifeguards: a closer look at America
What’s causing the worst drain on lifeguards in over 20 years? Let’s take America as a case study, where several factors that have contributed to the shortage. First, the Covid-19 pandemic led to the cancellation of lifeguard certifications across the country. When the pandemic shuttered pools, many would-be and existing lifeguards found better paying jobs in other sectors of the economy. And to further fuel the lifeguard shortage spiral, the US government canceled a visa program that was favored by many young people from around the world who came to the US for seasonal lifeguarding positions.
Fixing the lifeguard shortage and how technology can help
So what can be done to reverse this trend and get more lifeguards back in their posts? A positive step forward is the recent reinstatement of the J-1 visa program by the US government but making up for the lifeguard shortage its temporary ban caused will take time. To a larger extent, reversing the shortage of lifeguards is a question of dollars and cents. Lifeguarding positions were not as well compensated before, but that seems to be changing. Some pools and municipalities have increased lifeguard hourly wages by up to 40% or more. And in our ever more wired world, technology has a role to play as well. Advanced pool safety solutions can amplify existing lifeguards’ abilities to keep watch over the safety of everyone in a pool. For example, Lynxight has an AI-powered solution that uses existing CCTV cameras to deliver real-time incident alerts to a lifeguard’s smartwatch, improving their response times by up to sixfold. Technologies like Lynxight’s mean pools, even when short-staffed, can still ensure the safety and enjoyment of their patrons.
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