Simmons YMCA Needs 40 Staff Members Before Memorial Day Pool Opening

The Simmons YMCA in East Charlotte must hire between 15 and 25 lifeguards. They also need 15 swim instructors before summer arrives. Without them, the facility might keep just one of its two pools open.

This shortage affects all YMCA of Greater Charlotte locations — 33 pools and three waterfronts. They're short about 200 lifeguards and swim instructors.

Tiffany Dockery manages aquatics. She says both pools at the East Charlotte site might not run simultaneously. One pool stays open year-round indoors, while the outdoor pool should launch for Memorial Day.

"It would be detrimental to them if we had to close because we don't have enough staffing to keep the pools open," Dockery said, according to the Queen City News.

Melia-Joy Rosario works as a lifeguard there. She described peak hours. Groups wait. Every lawn chair gets filled with parents and kids.

"If we had more staffing, it would definitely make life easier because we would be able to rotate out a little more and have maybe a little more breaks and more time for us to kind of cool down," Rosario said.

This shortage threatens pool operations when warm weather brings swimmers out. Pools can't open safely without adequate staff to watch swimmers, Dockery explains.

"If we're not able to get the lifeguards and swim instructors that we need, it means that we're not able to safely open our pools and keep surveillance," she said.

The organization provides free lifeguard certification and training. New hires get a free membership too.

Simmons conducts open interviews every Tuesday and Thursday from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. Other locations have planned hiring events for summer positions, which include camp counselors.

Lake Norman YMCA held interviews on April 18 from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Morrison YMCA will host an event May 2 from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Harris YMCA has scheduled interviews for May 13 from 3:00 to 6:00 p.m.