There’s a lifeguard shortage at Kansas City’s pools. Anyone can help — including you
In March, Olympic gold medalist swimmer Cullen Jones recounted a near-death experience from his own childhood: He almost drowned.
“When I was 5 years old, I nearly drowned while visiting a Pennsylvania amusement park,” Jones wrote in a guest op-ed that appeared in USA Today. “I spent 30 seconds underwater not knowing what to do. Luckily, I was rescued by a lifeguard and resuscitated, but sadly events like these can result in tragedy.
“It was at that point my parents enrolled me in swim lessons, and my love of the sport developed.”
Cullen’s near-tragedy underscores the need for more trained swimmers and lifeguards. His argument for the importance of learning how to swim is backed by startling data:
▪ Drowning is the leading cause of unintentional injury-related death among children ages 1 to 4, according to the National SAFE KIDS Campaign.
▪ More than 60% of African American children cannot swim, according to the USA Swimming Foundation. About 45% of Latino kids and 40% of white kids have little to no swimming abilities.
Swimming is an essential life skill. Everybody, regardless of background or economic status, should learn how to swim in a pool, lake or beach.
Last month, Parkwood Pool in Kansas City, Kansas, reopened for the first time in two years. Some pools in Kansas City and Overland Park won’t open at all. Why? A nationwide shortage of lifeguards that reverberates dangerously close to home.
Wyandotte County and other municipalities contracted with Midwest Pool to fill their needs for swimming pool attendants. But non-residents make up the majority of lifeguards at Parkwood Pool, a Wyandotte County spokesperson said.
Parkwood Pool is located in one of the poorest ZIP codes in the United States, former Edwardsville city manager Doug Spangler said last year, after a 13-year-old hopped the fence at the closed-off pool and nearly drowned.
The tragedy left Emmanuel Solomon on life support. He later died. After the incident, the Unified Government held a recruitment fair for lifeguards to serve at Parkwood Pool this year. Those efforts have yielded little in return. As of Monday, only two swimming pool attendants on staff were Wyandotte County residents, a spokesperson said.
That must change, or children in KCK will not have enough lifeguards to swim in the near or distant future. The pipeline isn’t dry, though, according to Wyandotte County officials. A new crop of lifeguards could be in the making.
This year, through a partnership with WarnerMedia, students in Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools were offered free after-school swimming lessons. Students participate in the Learn to Swim program at no cost to their families, a promising development.
Through July 15, about 200 Wyandotte County youths will receive swimming lessons at Parkwood Pool. The county partnered with the YMCA of Greater Kansas City to introduce the program, which is sponsored by the Government Employees Health Association.
Lifeguards at Parkwood Pool are paid $15 per hour. Training and certification for prospective employees are free. Mid-season and end-of-summer bonuses are available for anyone age 15 and over. That includes you, boomers and Generation Xers.
Public parks and community pools in the Kansas City area must remove financial barriers and offer free swimming lessons to its residents. Not only will it improve safety — ultimately, it will result in homegrown lifeguards, and that’s truly the way to go.
Kids can’t safely swim without swimming pool attendants. It really is a matter of life and death.
To learn more on how to become a lifeguard in Kansas City, call 816-350-2628 or go to midwestpool.com/employment