Photo by Joseph O’Connor

With less than three months remaining until the opening of the 2022 pool season remaining, dozens of folks in West Philadelphia can secure a great summer job. Each summer, Philadelphia Parks & Recreation trains and hires 400+ lifeguards to safely staff the City’s free public pools. The City is now actively recruiting at pools across Philadelphia, and is looking to hire 57 lifeguards from West Philly to make sure pools like Kingsessing and Tustin are ready for a summer of fun.

Parks & Rec operates dozens of outdoor pools each summer, which open from mid-to-late June through mid-to-late August.

Lifeguards typically work 35 hours per week and the position pays a competitive wage of $15.25 to $17.24 an hour. Free training and swim lessons are available to anyone interested in building the skills to get certified to work as a lifeguard this summer. Red Cross certification classes are free for anyone ages 16-24 who commit to working at a City pool. The Red Cross lifeguard certification course fee is $110 for all other candidates.

“Our lifeguards are the foundation for a fun Philly summer,” said Philadelphia Parks & Recreation Commissioner Kathryn Ott Lovell. “From teens and young adults to retirees and school teachers, lifeguards come from all walks of life and have one thing in common – a passion for Philadelphia and a commitment to bringing our kids the safe summer of fun they so deserve.”

The first step for interested candidates is to brush up on swimming skills, and prepare for the lifeguard screening. The lifeguard screening test requires candidates to:

• Swim 300 meters nonstop.

• Tread water for two minutes.

• Retrieve a 10-lb brick from the bottom of the deep end.

Candidates can make an appointment for free training or to take the lifeguard screening at phila.gov/lifeguards. Training and screening appointments are available seven days a week at indoor pools across the City.

The screening test is required for all new and returning lifeguards, and can be completed on a walk-in basis. Certified candidates who pass the screening test will be ready to complete the job application and go to work this summer. New lifeguards will be enrolled in a Red Cross certification course upon passing their screening exam.

More information is available at phila.gov/lifeguards. Candidates can get started by visiting their local pool, or emailing lifeguard@phila.gov.