Hennepin County is investing nearly $1 million to address a shortage in lifeguards.

Commissioners say it’s an issue that the county has been dealing with for two years. During their board meeting June 6, the $990,000 investment was unanimously approved.

“If the pool doesn’t have enough lifeguards, they don’t open,” Jeff Lunde, Hennepin County commissioner and former lifeguard himself, said before they voted.

Commissioner Lunde told 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS Hennepin County has about a 33% vacancy rate for lifeguards across several entities.

“We’re looking for all hands on deck,” Lunde said, adding: “People who want to be lifeguards, who are lifeguards, or maybe people who used to be and just needed to get recertified.”

Hennepin County is not alone in this boat — according to American Lifeguard Association, more than half of the nation’s 309,000 public pools are reducing hours or closing due to a lifeguard shortage this year.

Spread out over three years, 11 entities in all will benefit from the nearly $1 million that will be used to purchase water safety equipment, cover the cost of lifeguard certification and provide lifeguards at 33 sites across the county.

One beneficiary is the city of Brooklyn Center — simply put, its aquatics coordinator, Rori Conners, says it’s been a struggle to find lifeguards right now.

Conners adds this is a big investment and hopes it helps them build a strong community connection to the industry.

“I want to get more Brooklyn Center kids into the program [to learn] how to swim and then getting on board with us as lifeguards and really keeping it in the community is going to be really cool,” Conners said. “Instead [of] looking outside, we can get the kids who are from here [and] grew up swimming here.”

The funding comes from the Hennepin County Youth Activities Grant program.

In a statement, the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) says while it “doesn’t employ lifeguards as part of our water safety staff, we do share the same mission of keeping everyone safe near all bodies of water, especially children.” 

HCSO’s Water Patrol Unit wants to remind people to WATCH, WEAR, and LEARN:

• WATCH your children and others near lakes, rivers, ponds, and pools.

                A. Use active supervision.

                B. Avoid distractions like cell phones and talking with others.

                C. Keep kids within arm’s length.

                D. Adult swimmers should watch out for one another, especially in open water.

• WEAR a life jacket

                A. You should still supervise your children near the water, even when wearing a life jacket.

                B. Weak swimmers and non-swimmers should always wear a life jacket.

                C. Do not rely on water wings for children.

                D. Make sure your life jacket is approved by the U.S. Coast Guard.

• LEARN to swim and administer CPR

                A. Teaching kids and others to swim can greatly reduce the risk of drowning.

                B. Knowing how to administer CPR can be a life-saving skill.

The HCSO also has resources for swimming lessons and lifeguard training here.