Lifeguard shortage closes some Boston city pools for entire summer

BOSTON — Some public pools in the city of Boston won’t be opening all summer long because of a lifeguard shortage.

The following swimming locations will remain shuttered through Summer 2022 because of staffing and/or facility issues:

BCYF Blackstone CC Pool, South End (50 W Brookline Street, Boston 02118)

BCYF Clougherty Pool - Outdoor Pool Only, Charlestown (331 Bunker Hill Street, Boston 02129)

BCYF Draper Pool, West Roxbury (5725 Washington Street, Boston 02132)

BCYF Hennigan CC Pool, Jamaica Plain (200 Heath Street, Jamaica Plain 02130)

BCYF Holland CC Pool, Dorchester (85 Olney Street, Dorchester 02121)

BCYF Perkins CC Pool, Dorchester (155 Talbot Ave, Dorchester, 02124)

These popular swimming locations will also remain closed through the summer because of capital construction projects in progress:

BCYF Curley CC (3 Beaches) - not reopening until Fall 2022, South Boston (1663 Columbia Road, Boston 02127)

BCYF Mattahunt CC Pool - not reopening until Summer 2023, Mattapan (100 Hebron Street, Mattapan 02126)

BCYF Paris Street CC Pool - not reopening until Fall 2022, East Boston (112 Paris Street, East Boston 02128)

“It’s been widely reported that there is a national lifeguard shortage and we are no exception. BCYF is currently conducting mass hiring and active outreach throughout the city while also taking on needed facility upgrades to guarantee the safety of all community members seeking to swim at our locations,” said a statement from a city of Boston spokesperson.

The city has hired about 30 of the 60 lifeguards needed to be at full summer staffing levels.

The closures leave both the South End and West Roxbury neighborhoods without alternative city pool access this summer.

“I think it’s going to put a damper on the kids’ summer, but also the parents,” said South End mother Makeda Payton. “Nobody’s going to travel all the way out to the next neighboring pool station.”

Families in inner city neighborhoods were greeted with the disappointing news on the first official day of summer.

“Parents who can’t afford to leave or go to a private pool, that’s going to cost them tremendously,” said community activist Domingos DaRosa. “Young folks are not going to have a place to hang out for a couple hours to cool off and get away from things they might want to get away from.”

DaRosa, who served as lifeguard in Boston for 23 years, said he’s worried about the future of public pools in the city.

“They’re already strained because they’re understaffed. There’s a shortage of lifeguards because we’re not feeding the pipeline,” explained DaRosa. “A lot of inner city kids don’t know how to swim.”

The lifeguard shortage is impacting communities across the state after Massachusetts saw a record number of drownings last year.

The Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation is still looking to hire hundreds of lifeguards.

DCR is offering bonuses totaling up to $1,000 to qualified lifeguard applicants for the 2022 season.

An early sign-on bonus of $500 was offered to candidates who committed to being an agency lifeguard for the summer season by Sunday, March 27, 2022.

The Baker-Polito Administration also raised the hourly rate for lifeguards for the 2022 season to between $21 and $26, depending on the position and associated certifications.

Last year’s starting rates were $20 for lifeguards and $21 for head lifeguards.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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