AUSTIN, Texas — Do you love being outdoors around a pool in the summer? A job as a lifeguard is right up your lane!
The City of Austin is hiring 600 lifeguards for this summer season and is looking for more applicants.
Right now, Aquatics Supervisor Aaron Levine with Austin Parks and Recreation's Aquatics Department said they only have 130 guards because the pandemic set them back.
If they do not have enough guards, they cannot open all the pools.
"Unfortunately, we've got a tiered system right now planned for this summer. That's based on the number of lifeguards that we're able to hire and how quickly we're able to bring them on, on board," Levine said.
The job pays $15 per hour and Levine encourages anyone over the age of 15, teens or adults, to apply.
COVID-19 precautions are in place at the pools to protect the guests and employees, including temperature checks, masking when not in the water and social distancing.
On top of that, lifeguard training courses will be held in smaller groups with separate mannequins for each trainee.
Individuals interested do have to pass a test and certification to get hired.
"It doesn't take an Olympic swimmer or anything like that. But of course, you do have to be comfortable in the water for lifeguarding," Levine said.
The preliminary test applicants must pass in order to take the lifeguarding course includes swimming eight lengths of a pool, two of those using a lifeguard tube, a brick dive and two minutes treading water (one minute with hands and one minute without).
Interested applicants can visit the City of Austin's page for more information.
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