A youngster enjoys a cool afternoon in the Hellertown Pool in June. (Photo credit: Chris Christian)
The 2022 summer swimming season hasn’t all been smooth sailing at the Hellertown Pool due to staffing issues, which borough council discussed at their meeting Monday.
During a recent six-day heat wave, the popular aquatic facility was closed three days in a row because of staff call-offs, which council acknowledged were the result of the pool being understaffed this year.
Borough manager Cathy Hartranft said the borough typically hires at least 20 lifeguards to work at the pool, which from early June to late August is open seven days a week from noon to 7 p.m., weather permitting.
This year the borough was only able to hire 10 guards, she said, and at least six guards are required to be on duty at all times.
“The staff that we did get was working, and they were working extensively,” Hartranft said, adding that various adjustments were made to try and keep the pool open daily with such limited staff.
One adjustment that was made involved closing the deep end of the pool so that only the shallow end needed to be guarded, but she said that didn’t work well.
Ultimately, the pool’s lifeguards were burned out by working long shifts in extremely hot weather, and with so few staff to begin with the pool had to be closed for safety issues.
At that point, Hartranft said a new “rolling closing” plan was devised that has been working well since it was implemented. Under the current plan, the pool is closed for 30 minutes every two hours, to help ensure that all of the guards get breaks consistently.
While many of the comments on social media were unsympathetic, Hartranft told council that once people find out why the pool had to be closed, they have been “understanding.”
And with the new “rolling closing” procedure in place there haven’t been any complaints about the pool, she said.
Hartranft also told council that a number of other pools in the area have struggled to manitain full staffing this summer, and some have had to close as a result of low staffing levels.
To help prevent a similar situation in the future, she said lifeguard recruitment will be a priority for the borough this winter.
“If you’re interested in becoming a lifeguard, pay attention to when the lifeguard certification programs are out there,” she suggested.
“We had a really great staff this year. Limited staff, but very dedicated,” Hartranft said. “The co-managers, Marybeth and Lauren, did a phenomenal job.”
A borough resident who is both a former councilman and a former lifeguard told council and Hartranft that next year he would be willing to “volunteer on the weekend” if it would help to keep the pool open.
Jonathan Lentz said his children love the Hellertown Pool, as do many local families.
Borough council president Tom Rieger said residents should also be aware that the pool is not a “cash cow” for the borough. In a good year, he said, the facility’s considerable operating expenses mean that the borough is lucky to break even at the end of the season.
This year’s final day to swim at the Hellertown Pool is this Saturday, Aug. 20, which coincidentally is also Hellertown Community Day in Dimmick Park, across the street.
There is a 40 percent chance of showers Saturday, mainly after 2 p.m., according to the latest National Weather Service forecast for Hellertown.
Hartranft said that in spite of the closures due to staffing, this year’s pool weather has been excellent, which has allowed the facility to operate on more days than it does during a typical summer season that includes rainy days and infrequent thunderstorms.
