As winter comes to an end, the City of Pittsburgh is already looking toward summer. Its parks department has begun taking applications for lifeguards at city pools.
The city has had a lifeguard shortage the past two years and, as a result, has been unable to open all of its pools — only eight in 2021 and 12 pools in 2022.
The city has increased the pay of lifeguards to between $16.48 and $19.05. To apply, applicants need to live in the city of Pittsburgh and be 16-years-old by Sept. 5, 2023.
The ongoing lifeguard shortage has created logistical challenges — and some controversy. The city initially didn’t plan to open Sue Murray pool last year but relented after public lobbying. Officials initially blamed residents near the pool for causing a high number of nuisance problems but later said the decision not to open the pool hadn’t taken into account the kinds of residents who would be impacted by the decision. But opening Sue Murray meant the city had to reduce the number of days the pool at Riverview Park could open.
In a press release, the city said that it opened up a lifeguard academy at Westinghouse High School in the fall, but didn’t specify whether any of the participants have applied to become lifeguards this year.
Interested applicants should fill out a pre-application interest form as well as apply for the job directly on its website. The city is offering three training courses at Carrick High School 0151— one in April, one in May and one in June.
