QUESTION
How do New York City's efforts to recruit lifeguards compare to other cities?
0:49:43
·
3 min
New York City faces challenges in recruiting enough lifeguards, similar to a national shortage, despite efforts to enhance the appeal of the job.
- Commissioner Sue Donoghue emphasizes New York City's commitment to fully opening beaches and pools despite staffing challenges.
- A national lifeguard shortage leads other cities to reduce pool and beach services, unlike New York City.
- New York City offers advanced swim training and strives to make lifeguard positions more appealing.
- The city's lifeguard recruitment challenges are part of broader staffing issues faced by various sectors since COVID-19.
- Council Member Krishnan questions if NYC's staffing and funding for parks are comparable to those of other major cities.
Shekar Krishnan
0:49:43
So we've got, you know, the state pay matching where the state pay is at now, which is great retention, you know, bonus for coming back as well.
0:49:52
Advertising all different places.
0:49:55
I I guess another question I have to is what have you had conversations with other cities other major cities in terms of if you're doing all of these different things, but still, we don't have pipeline.
0:50:08
That's what we mentioned in our 5 point plan, looking at the DOE junior lifeguard core.
0:50:12
How do we create that pipeline?
0:50:14
What if conversations, if any, have you had with other cities?
0:50:17
About ways to increase hiring if you're doing all of the things that you should be doing.
0:50:24
But clearly, there's not enough of a pipeline of applicants.
Sue Donoghue
0:50:27
Thank you for the question.
0:50:28
First, I just want to specify, you know, with we absolutely want to and recognize it urgency of bringing as many people in the door as we can to have as many lifeguards as possible.
0:50:42
And that's the reason why there's been such a concerted effort to do that.
0:50:47
As I said in my testimony, we were very proud of the fact that we were able to open all of our beaches and pools last year.
0:50:53
So 1400 is optimal because it gets us to be able to have extended hours at our beaches and pools doing some of the extended programming that we'd like to do.
0:51:03
But with the 800, as we've seen the last 2 years, we still are able to open all of our beaches in So I wanna be clear that while it's not optimal, we are still able to open our beaches and pools, which we're very proud and we'll continue to work to do that.
0:51:20
We are always looking at opportunities for speaking with meeting with others, why we're part of this this larger lifeguard task force.
0:51:31
We know that the, you know, the pay was really important.
0:51:33
We worked really hard to get that information out sooner.
0:51:37
As we've seen, we are not alone in having challenges with hiring, restaurants, other industries across the city, across the nation.
0:51:45
I've seen structural changes in in finding employees.
0:51:49
Being to become a New York City Lifeguard is a really difficult called task.
0:51:53
It's a really hard test to pass.
0:51:55
And that's why we're offering as many opportunities for advanced swim training, doing all we can to hair young people to make it as exciting and interesting of a summer job as possible.
0:52:09
So we recognize they need to do more and to continue to find ways to make the job appealing, but it it does mirror other changes you see since COVID and just people's work.
Shekar Krishnan
0:52:21
But do you think compared to other cities that the staffing versus the need, is that percentage?
0:52:30
What it's like for other major cities.
0:52:31
For example, when it comes to our parks department, we are underfunded compared to other major cities in terms of our city budget dedicated towards parks.
0:52:37
Do you know how it compares to major cities or how other cities have looked at this problem?
Sue Donoghue
0:52:42
We do.
0:52:44
And thank you for the question council member.
0:52:47
1, we know that New York City is bigger and needs more as more facilities, as more people were looking to serve the numbers I need to see in the country.
0:52:56
What we have seen in the last couple of years, unfortunately, in cities closing, reducing hours.
0:53:05
Not opening, instituting a fee, reducing their availability of their pools and beaches.
0:53:12
That has been the response.
0:53:14
That other cities have been forced to make because of a national lifeguard shortage.
0:53:18
We have really worked hard not to have that be New York City's response.
Shekar Krishnan
0:53:22
Mhmm.