MILWAUKEE - — More lifeguards are needed to help you stay cool at Milwaukee County public pools this summer.
To encourage applications, Milwaukee County Parks is offering free training classes to put you on the path to certification.
Summer might seem far off but, lifeguard hiring is picking up speed right now, and the incentives are hot.
"It's a $250 sign-on bonus that'll be paid out in July," explained Andrea Wallace, the Assistant Director of Recreation and Business Services. "We also have a bonus if you stay through Labor Day —another $250 dollars that'll be paid out at the end of summer."
Ron Wurzer is getting ready for his second summer.
"My wife pointed out that Milwaukee County had a great need for lifeguards, so I applied, and here I am!" he said with a smile.
Wurzer says he chose to go through lifeguard training and apply for the role because he was looking for some fun during retirement.
"My only complaint is that I worked a lot last summer, a lot more than I expected," he said with a laugh.
Wurzer hopes he'll have a few more co-workers this year and the Parks Department hopes so too. The goal is to have 150 to 200 lifeguards ready to dive in by summer.
"We did lose our entire lifeguard corps during COVID," explained Wallace. "Very few returned when we were closed in 2020 and 2021, so 2022 really was a start-from-scratch year."
Because of a lack of qualified lifeguards in recent years, many public pools were closed.
As for this year?
"We haven't decided which facilities will be open. As we're going through staffing, we'll make those choices," added Wallace.
To help train the 2024 lifeguard corps, free classes continue this weekend. To qualify for training as a lifeguard for the Milwaukee County Parks, you must be at least 16 years of age by the time of hire, in good physical condition, and able to swim 100 meters in less than 1 minute 45 seconds. You don't need any previous experience as a lifeguard to sign up.
Click here to see class times and sign up for a lifeguard training session.
To sweeten the deal the Parks Department will be handing out prizes for attending training and also for passing certification.
PAY and INCENTIVES:
2024 Lifeguard pay starts at $17.13/hour. The County Parks also offers the following incentives for lifeguards:
- Entry into a drawing for $100 worth of merchandise and gift cards for those who pass the test and commit to the 2024 Lifeguard Corps in January, February, or March
- Exclusive swag for lifeguards who pass an in-water training in January, February, or March and start working in the spring of 2024
- Two tickets to Milwaukee County Parks attractions - such as the Mitchell Park Domes, Boerner Botanical Gardens, Cool Waters, etc. - for those who attend the training in January, February, or March
- Additional bonuses for all returning and referring employees
WHEN:
- First choice of session/test (limited class sizes)
- Session 2 - Sat. at Pulaski Pool - Jan. 20 - Feb. 24, 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. (Mar. 2, 8 a.m. test)
- Session 3 - Mon./Wed. at Pulaski Pool - Feb. 12-28, 6-8 p.m. (Mar. 2, 8 a.m. test)
- Session 4 - Tues./Thurs. at Noyes Pool - Mar. 19 - Apr. 4, 6-8 p.m. (Apr. 6, 8 a.m. test)
- Second choice of session/test (limited class sizes)
- Session 2 - Sat. at Pulaski Pool - Jan. 20 - Feb. 24, 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. (Mar. 2, 8 a.m. test)
- Session 3 - Mon./Wed. at Pulaski Pool - Feb. 12-28, 6-8 p.m. (Mar. 2, 8 a.m. test)
- Session 4 - Tues./Thurs. at Noyes Pool - Mar. 19 - Apr. 4, 6-8 p.m. (Apr. 6, 8 a.m. test)
WHERE: Noyes Pool, 8235 Good Hope Rd, Milwaukee WI 53223 OR Pulaski Pool, 2701 S. 16th St., Milwaukee, WI 53215
It’s about time to watch on your time. Stream local news and weather 24/7 by searching for “TMJ4” on your device.
Available for download on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and more.
