As temperatures spike, Sacramento lifeguards are in hot demand. Can pools handle shortage?

Sacramento temperatures are spiking this week, reaching a high of 105 degrees in a brief heat wave that has driven city residents towards local pools.

But Sacramento pools are facing a shortage in lifeguards, according to Cosumnes Community Services District spokeswoman Jenna Brinkman, who told the Bee that the three aquatic facilities the district oversees are currently operating with about 85 percent of their usual staff.

Cosumnes CSD hopes to assemble a team of about 175 aquatics employees each summer, Brinkman said, most of whom are high school- or college-age students. Currently, they have an aquatics staff of 140 people, but they are in the process of bringing on 21 new staff members.

“Overall, we’ve seen more competition in the community for high school and college age people to have different types of part time jobs,” Brinkman said. “COVID, of course, is another factor because there have been fewer training opportunities during the pandemic for certifications.”

The pandemic might also have prevented some students from taking part in competitive swimming in high school or college, Brinkman said, discouraging them from becoming lifeguards down the line.

This year, Cosumnes CSD has embarked on a new push to encourage students to apply for summer lifeguarding positions, setting up information booths at high schools in the community and offering reimbursements to help aspiring lifeguards cover the cost of lifeguard certification classes.

Although Brinkman said Cosumnes CSD has been able to keep their pools running despite the staff shortage, she still urged locals looking for summer employment to apply for lifeguard positions.

“Lifeguarding is a really good step on a career pathway towards nursing, EMT-ing, paramedicine, firefighting, things like that,” Brinkman said. “We try to recruit folks who are interested in those career pathways, and getting started as a lifeguard is a good first step. They learn first aid, CPR, all these different leadership skills and skills for those careers.”

Cosumnes CSD will continue to hire lifeguards throughout June and July. For more information, visit the job opportunity section of Consumnes CSD’s website.

This story was originally published June 11, 2022 at 5:00 AM.