The city council in Richardson has agreed to up the pay for lifeguards as it seeks to fill its vacant positions.
The new wage for lifeguards in Richardson is now $15 and hour, up from $13.50 an hour. The decision to increase the lifeguards’ pay was made because the region expects to face a shortage of lifeguards during the summer months. According to numbers published by Richardson’s Parks and Recreation Department, 80 lifeguards are required in order to keep all of the city’s aquatic centers and public pools open, yet only 20 have been hired so far.
The aquatics program expects that it will have half of the total number of employees it needs when swim season starts in June. In order to deal with the shortage of employees, the city could be forced to make certain changes to its pool facilities. Poster printing can be used to display the safety rules at public pools.
In order to attract more lifeguards, the city is offering $50 bonuses and extra pay worth $750 if they work for the full season. Applicants who wish to take on the role are required to have valid certifications in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), first aid, and lifeguard training attained from the American Red Cross. Applicants can be as young as 15 years old.
The city is also looking for people to take on other seasonal positions, such as day camp director, park maintenance assistant, and swim instructor.
