Birmingham's Community Pools Need Lifeguards In Order To Open

Birmingham AL

29 June, 2021

10:50 AM

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BIRMINGHAM, AL — Summer in Birmingham is in full swing, and with kids out of school, that often means summer days spent enjoying a local swimming pool. However, for many Birmingham communities, a lack of lifeguards has prevented their local pool from opening, a WBRC report said. Birmingham's public pools usually open by Memorial Day but as 4th of July nears all 18 pools across the city are still closed. Birmingham Parks and Recreations Recreational superintendent Ronald Hicks told WBRC that the city needs lifeguards to get the pools open and the city is willing to train applicants. "We're really pushing to open up the pools because we know everybody wants to get back to some form of normalcy, but during that process, we also want to make sure that we are being safe," Hicks said. To apply for a lifeguard position, applicants must be at least 16 years old and have a Red Cross or YMCA certification. Hicks said the city is also willing to train candidates for certification. For more information on classes and certification, call 205-254-2189. Read more about Birmingham's lifeguard shortage on wbrc.com.