Quincy officials looking for more lifeguards for new Aquatic Center

QUINCY — The new Quincy Aquatic Center is so popular with residents and visitors that city officials are looking for more lifeguards to accommodate more people.  

Quincy Recreation Director Russ Harrington said the pool had 12 days of operation as of Tuesday.  

“We've had about 3,100 patrons come through the door; 750 of those have been season pass holders, so we're already making a huge splash,” Harrington told Quincy City Council members Tuesday. “We’ve got 250 kids doing swim lessons that started yesterday for (the first session). Our numbers are just huge.”  

However, success has brought challenges with it, he said. 

“The first time that I can ever say – probably in Quincy's history – we’re maxing out our capacity, and that's mostly to do with lifeguards,” Harrington said. “Our limit is based on how many lifeguards are on staff at any one time. We've been calling in lifeguards as much as we can to try and get more people in, because we do have a line – we have to have people wait outside. We've had anywhere from 12 to 14 guards, maybe 15 guards on duty over the last four or five days.” 

Harrington said there are limits on the number of swimmers monitored by each lifeguard. 

“They’re staged with 25 to 30 people to monitor. That’s what the national average is,” Harrington said. 

City officials sponsored a lifeguard training class before the pool opened, he said, but of the approximately 25 candidates who started, 13 failed to meet all the requirements. 

City officials are still looking for more lifeguard candidates, or people who already have the certification. 

“We're always looking for more lifeguards, so if you guys hear people in the community, direct them our way," Harrington said. "That's the only way we're going to be able to open up for more patrons in the facility, is to have more lifeguards get certified. Whether they're adults or kids, it doesn't matter." 

In answer to a question from Quincy Mayor Paul Worley, Harrington said it is a commitment. 

“There are seven hours of online work, and then about 30 hours of in-person work, and a written 50-question written test at the end. Typically, it's going to be either one week, five days a week, or two weekends,” Harrington said. “But it's a commitment to do it, and it is a seasonal job – it's only there when the pool is open for the summertime. It's not easy.” 

There are also pre-conditions applicants must meet before taking the course. Most of the applicants that withdrew did so before they got to the written test, Harrington said. 

The new pool is attracting people from throughout the region, he said, especially the toy designed for small children in the zero-depth area.  

“There are tons of kids all over that,” he said.  

It’s so popular that it requires extra lifeguard attention to monitor the traffic, he said.  

“We typically have to put a staff member on top of that big toy,” he said.  

City officials will offer certification classes for people who want to work as a lifeguard, Harrington said.  

“(Aquatic center staff) is actively working on new classes all the time,” he said.