Citywide Partnership Helps Stem Lifeguarding Shortage

The City of Omaha Parks and Recreation Department in Nebraska came to a troubling realization that many aquatic facilities around the country face-a lifeguarding shortage. This safety issue within the Omaha community drew much concern and caused the Parks and Recreation Department to turn to their local American Red Cross chapter for help. After struggling on their own to solve the problem, the two organizations decided to form a partnership to grow the lifeguarding capacity in their community.

"As a community, we didn't have enough lifeguarding instructors or instructor trainers to meet Omaha's growing need for aquatic safety professionals," said Jill Orton, health and safety director of the American Red Cross Heartland Chapter in Omaha. "We needed to fix the problem at multiple levels by securing more instructors to certify new guards and then encouraging more kids to become lifeguards."

Each organization looked for opportunities that would create solutions and enable them to work collaboratively towards improving the bottom line-which was creating safer aquatic facilities within the community.

Through this partnership, the Heartland Chapter provided affordable training for the City of Omaha staff in both aquatic and non-aquatic Red Cross courses. This increased the amount of qualified instructors and instructor trainers on staff, which subsequently led to more lifeguards being certified for the Parks and Recreation Department.

Taking their partnership a step further, the City gave its instructors an incentive to teach on a voluntary basis for the Red Cross and made their facilities available to the Red Cross to provide year-round aquatic and non-aquatic training.

To help recruit lifeguard applicants and promote community lifeguard training courses throughout the city, the Heartland Chapter utilized a community calendar to reach the public. Hard copies of the calendar were sent to more than 75 locations such as schools, and electronic versions were sent to all of their authorized providers and customers.

Most recruitment is now done by word of mouth based on the positive reputation the program has. Orton reports that it is considered "cool" to be a lifeguard in Nebraska. Young people see it as a great way to earn money, be outdoors and be a part of a team. The City of Omaha pays lifeguards well and gives raises based on seniority and leadership skills. The City even holds a competitive lifeguard competition each summer utilizing Red Cross curriculum that now attracts competitors from across the state. The City also holds an Annual Aquatics Conference each spring and an Annual Lifeguard Recognition Day that the Mayor hosts each August.

"We enroll approximately 16 students per lifeguard training course that we run with the City of Omaha," said Orton. "Their volunteer instructors teach the courses at City facilities, which gives them the first crack at employing the new guards."

In addition, two GuardStart: Lifeguarding Tomorrow courses are held each summer, which also aids in the cultivation of future lifeguards. The course is designed for youth ages 11 to 14 year olds and helps keep them involved in aquatics between swim classes and lifeguard training. The course acts as a feeder system for lifeguarding programs and gives youth the skills they will need to help perform successfully in a lifeguarding course.

"We are all committed to aquatic safety throughout Omaha," said Orton. "We knew that more lifeguards at pools throughout the city meant the possibility of drowning and near-drowning situations would decrease and that community pools would become safer."

"It was and continues to be a win-win partnership that benefits our organizations, as well as our community as a whole," stated Orton. "I value the vision created to address the lifeguard shortage because the solution has resulted in providing low cost, high quality training that has helped both organizations meet their business goals."

Free Lifeguard Recruitment Tools Available Now Every aquatic facility grapples with the threat of lifeguarding shortages from time to time. Despite recent trends in lifeguarding employment, there are a number of recruitment tactics aquatic facilities can administer to combat lifeguarding shortages. As an American Red Cross authorized provider, you can benefit from free marketing support to help you grow your aquatics program and recruit lifeguarding candidates. Postcard Stock No. 654211 Brochure Stock No. 654212 Poster Stock No. 654213 New professionally developed and printed brochures, postcards and posters can be ordered through your chapter free of charge to help you conduct various marketing campaigns to recruit lifeguarding candidates. Marketing Toolkit for Aquatic Facilities Stock No. 654216 The Red Cross also offers a popular Marketing Toolkit for Aquatic Facilities, which is designed to provide facilities with information and resources needed to increase enrollment in Swimming and Water Safety, as well as Lifeguarding programs. The toolkit includes a CD-ROM of downloadable marketing tools including flyers, ads, t-shirt designs, ideas for recruiting water safety instructor and lifeguarding candidates, water safety tips, as well as information about visibility items that can be displayed at a facility to increase brand awareness of Red Cross aquatic programs. Request your free Marketing Toolkit from your Red Cross chapter today!

Jill Orton has been with the American Red Cross since 1993 and is the preparedness, health & safety director of the Heartland Chapter in Omaha, NE. Prior to joining the chapter, Jill served as a Red Cross volunteer and led the aquatic programs at the Mid-Rivers Chapter in Hastings, NE. Her aquatics background includes working for the YMCA and coaching competitive swimming for USA Swimming, YMCA and high schools.

For more information, contact your local American Red Cross chapter.
To order program materials, contact your local chapter, call (800) 667-2968
or visit www.shopstaywell.com.

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