LA County extends pool season, more than doubling lifeguard staff
Instead of a 10-week period, 41 county-wide pools will be open for five months, from now until to October.
Families seeking relief from the heat this summer have reason to rejoice.
Los Angeles County will extend operating dates and hours at its 41 swimming pools across 30 locations after more than doubling the number of lifeguards, officials announced on Friday, June 14.
Board of Supervisor Janice Hahn, wearing a straw hat, lifeguard uniform and whistle, declared the extended pool season officially open during a press conference and pool party at the Don Knabe Regional Park Pool in Cerritos.
Under the old 10-week swim season, Hahn said, county pools were locked up and out of reach by residents when it became really hot.
“The real warm weather comes in August,” Hahn said. “But in all the past years, our LA County pools would shut down at the end of August and that never made sense because some of our hottest days come in September, October.”
The county pools will now be open through the end of October, with increased hours into the evenings.
Besides the extended dates, county pools will also be open six days a week, from Monday to Saturday. It’s the first time in five years that’s happened, said Director of LA County Parks Norma E. García-Gonzalez.
“Our team has grown with over 580 new lifeguards, ensuring a safe and enjoyable experience for all,” Garcia-Gonzalez said in a statement. “We aim to make swimming accessible and fun, promote essential water safety skills, and provide a vibrant, cool space for the community to stay active.”
The county has added 356 new pool lifeguards and rehired 224 returning lifeguards, a move that came almost a year to the day after officials had to cut pool operating hours in half because of staffing shortages. Last summer saw county pool schedules with staggered operating days and hours to spread staffing at each facility.
Hahn credited a yearlong recruitment effort, streamlining the lifeguard hiriing process and a bump in hourly pay for the increase in the number of lifeguard hires this year. The starting hourly rate for county lifeguards, according to Hahn spokesperson Liz Odendahl, was raised from $20.65 to $23.86.
But personnel isn’t the only new investment for county pools.
The pools also have new lighting, according to the press release, to ensure swimmers can enjoy the water even as the sun rises later and sets earlier in the fall.
Activities available at LA County pools include low-cost swim team programs, senior aquatic exercises and the inaugural Summer Parks After Dark pool events series. To find a county-sponsored aquatics program, visit parks.lacounty.gov/aquatics.
To find a county pool near you, go to bit.ly/4cmRSCa.