Parks Adds More Lifeguards For Pools

Schulz Aquatic Park. Photo taken May 17, 2023 by Graham Kilmer.

Milwaukee County Parks officials had good news when they briefed county supervisors on lifeguard recruitment Tuesday.

The department had another 25 lifeguards committed for the summer season since their last report to the board, going from 65 to 90. It’s also 10% more guards than they had committed at this time in 2022, said Jeff Orlowski, parks director of recreation and business services.

The parks systems had been faced with declining lifeguard numbers in the years leading up to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the pandemic only worsened the trend, with pools closed and lifeguard certification classes canceled. When Parks reopened the aquatic system in 2021 for the first time since 2019, it found its lifeguard numbers had plummeted. It needs approximately 200 guards to open every aquatic facility, and had only 52.

Orlowsky attributed the improvement since then to the pay increases and bonuses passed by the county board and stepping up in-person recruitment with swim teams, athletic agencies, the YMCA and other organizations.

It’s possible, too, that the department will see its numbers increase even more before the swim season kicks off in June. It is holding a last-ditch “bridge training session” at the end of May. This new program will be a shorter training session, targeting recruits with previous guard experience and strong swimming abilities, said Jodi Wendt, recreation and aquatic manager. These recruits will still have to pass every test as other county lifeguards, but the training portion will be shorter.

As the department previously reported, it plans to open more aquatic facilities this season than last year. The department has not made a final announcement on all the pools, but it plans to focus resources on the water parks, which attract families and a wider array of swim abilities than the county’s other deep-well pools. Orlowsky said Parks does plan to open Cool Waters in Greenfield Park and Schultz Aquatic Park in Lincoln Park. Pool openings will be announced in the coming week, Orlwosky said.

Bradford beach will go unguarded again in 2023, for lack of lifeguards with open water experience. Wendt said the department is in a “regrowth period” with lifeguard recruitment and that the goal is to continue to grow recruitment until the system can once again provide guards for the beach.