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Public swimming hours are being reduced or modified due to staffing issues, particularly lifeguard shortages, which have become widespread across many public pools nationwide. This results in shortened hours of operation or early closures even during peak demand times such as heat waves.
For instance, the City of Raleigh had to cut back hours at eight pools because it was short 30 to 40 lifeguards amid high summer demand. Similarly, a nationwide lifeguard shortage is attributed to pandemic-related disruptions in certification and training, a shift of former lifeguards to other jobs, and restrictions on foreign work permits that previously supplied seasonal staff. This has caused many pools to shorten hours or close earlier than usual, reducing public swimming availability at critical times.
One potential solution to alleviate these staffing-related hours reductions is for sports clubs to adjust their training schedules. While no direct information indicates the impact of such adjustments on sports club operations, structured scheduling could provide operational predictability. For example, the Denton Natatorium organizes leisure and competition pool times around swim team practices and training programs, segmenting time for lap swimming, therapy, and public swim sessions.
If sports clubs coordinate training during less busy public hours or share lifeguard resources, this could help optimize staffing and reduce conflicts with public swim hours. However, the rescinded overall lifeguard availability remains the primary constraint. Without increasing the number of certified lifeguards or improving recruitment, even organized training schedules cannot fully compensate for staffing shortages.
In summary, staffing shortages, especially lifeguard deficits due to pandemic impacts and labor market shifts, directly lead to reduced public swimming hours and sometimes overcrowding or access denial. Sports club training schedules that are carefully planned to coexist with public swim times may improve operational efficiency but cannot alone resolve staffing shortages. Increasing lifeguard recruitment, certification, and retention is necessary to restore full public pool hours and service reliability.
It is worth noting that the lack of staff is a primary reason for the infrequent use of public pools, and no information is available about the potential costs or benefits associated with adjusting sports club training schedules. Furthermore, the public's interest in expanded public swimming hours remains unknown. Lastly, sports clubs manage their training independently, and no information is provided about the possibility of hiring additional staff for public pools.
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