Spokane searches for summer lifeguards

Grab your Speedo and get on down to the Spokane city parks office.

There’s a shortage of lifeguards for this summer. The city is seeking qualified applicants, and they will provide training for the $8- to $9-an-hour job.

You don’t need to be a super athlete, just an average swimmer who can hold his or her breath and swim to the bottom of the deep end of the pool, said Sarah Ranson, aquatics superviser for the Spokane Parks and Recreation Department.

“It’s a very professional job and it looks good on a college or job application,” she said.

You must be age 15 or older and willing to work a 35- to 40-hour weekly schedule.

Ranson said the city needs at least 15 more lifeguards to fill its roster. If the city doesn’t get enough lifeguards, it could be forced to close one of its six pools this summer.

Weeklong training classes start on Friday. Lifeguards must have Red Cross certificates, not only for being a lifeguard but also for first aid and cardio-pulmonary resuscitation.

City pools open June 19 through Aug. 25.

Lifeguard shortages have been reported for years around the country, and the Spokane parks department has increasingly had trouble getting all of the guards it needs. This is the first time, however, that they’ve issued a general call for applicants.

Ranson said she believes that fewer children are being taught advanced swimming skills, which is the reason for the shortage. She said Spokane County’s park system also needed two more lifeguards for the summer.

She said that once a lifeguard is hired, they often can work summer after summer.

To apply for training and a position, call (509) 363-5415 or go online at spokaneparks.org and follow the links to aquatic programs. Also, applicants who are already certified may call (509) 625-6200 or go to the parks office at City Hall at 808 W. Spokane Falls Blvd.