How Columbus is keeping its pools safe this summer

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- On a hot summer day, the pool is usually a great destination for families, but how do those pools keep them safe?

The Columbus Recreation and Parks Department said it has what it takes to do just that.  

Marissa Angellatta, the aquatics administrative manager of Columbus Recreation and Parks, said the lifeguard shortage is not a new thing and that it has been going on for a decade but this year they have remained fully staffed.

“We're asking lifeguards to do a lot more than they used to have to do and it can be a high-stress job, a lot for young people and especially people who are doing this as a second job,” Angellatta said.  “So, I think sometimes it's just not a job that's interesting to people as much as it used to be in the past.”

This is the second year post the COVID-19 pandemic that all the city’s pools have been open for the summer. Last year was a little bit harder but they've come a long way.  

“This year we've gotten a lot better,” Angellatta said. “I think we have a really great staff. They continue to return year after year.”  

There are also some new incentives put in place to make sure more people are interested in becoming a lifeguard.

“We raised our minimum pay for lifeguards to $20 an hour and I think that's made such a big impact on keeping and retaining staff and recruiting new ones,” Angellatta said.

Angellatta believes her staff is well equipped to handle the influx of people coming to swim in the pool and there are other measures put in place to make sure everyone will be safe. 

“Our lifeguards are trained not just with the American Red Cross lifeguard certification, but we do a ton of in-house training for our staff to make sure they're adequately prepared,” Angellatta said. “And then we always have capacity limitations based on how many lifeguards we have to ensure that even if, you know, maybe we're light-staffed one day, that we never have too many people in the pool compared to how many lifeguards we have.”

Some of the best ways to stay safe at the pool is to learn how to swim, always follow the posted rules, and young children under the age of nine should always be within arm's reach of an adult.