State breathes life into lifeguard training

e grants, implemented by the state’s local a airs and labor departments, ranged from $1,000 requests to $20,000, the maximum. In the end, the state allocated mixed amounts, but exhausted almost all of the available funds, leaving just $200 to potentially allocate supplementally..

BY JOHN RENFROW JRENFROW@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Countless public pools opened over the Memorial Day weekend as schools let out and summer approaches. But whether they remain open throughout the season is another matter.

e state of Colorado is boosting aid along the Front Range and across the state to help local pools avoid that outcome.

Gov. Jared Polis announced nancial help on May 30 for nearly 50 cities and districts as part of the Lifeguard Training Initiative — a follow-up to his administration’s Pools Special Initiative, launched last summer.

e initiative was announced early this month at the Northglenn Recreation Center, along with administrators, local o cials, lawmakers and community members.

“We are making a splash with this exciting support for lifeguards, part of our ongoing work to make sure that pools can safely open earlier, expand hours, and stay open longer this summer,” Polis said in his announcement. “We are thrilled that so many local governments across the state applied for this funding so that families, friends, and neighbors can dive right into the summer.”

South Suburban Parks and Recreation District (SSPRD), which reported a signi cant shortage of lifeguards earlier in the month, received $10,700 — the highestallocated amount awarded to more than a dozen districts or cities. Cities like Aurora and Boulder received the same amount.

Part of the shortage lies with the expensive cost of training lifeguards. Many prospective employees may be dissuaded by the idea of paying to obtain lifeguard certi cation. ough it won’t solve the main shortage problem, having the funding helps, said SSPRD Aquatics Manager Karl Brehm, who came down from a lifeguard stand himself to talk to Colorado Community Media.

“It will help us reach a demographic that is lacking in having the funds upfront to start,” Brehm said. “With the grant, we will defer the payment of those [lifeguard] certication costs.”

A full-course lifeguard training at South Suburban through Red Cross costs $175. Community First Aid, CPR and AED training/blended learning costs $80. But after 75 hours of work, South Suburban reimburses course fees [excluding the $40 certication fee].

Other communities received smaller amounts. e City of orn-