QUESTION
What is the plan for staffing and opening New York City's beaches and pools this summer?
4:57:40
·
123 sec
The Department of Parks and Recreation plans to open all city beaches and pools, but operations will be limited due to a national lifeguard shortage.
- Beaches and pools will open in phases based on available lifeguard staffing levels.
- Full stretches of beaches may not be able to open initially.
- Lifeguards will be spread out to cover as many open areas as possible.
- Schedules and hours will be reduced until more lifeguards can be hired and trained.
Shekar Krishnan
4:57:40
One particular is How many lifeguards are needed to staff our beaches, specifically?
Jessica Tisch
4:57:48
Do
Iris Rodriguez-Rosa
4:57:54
we we can get you that number council member.
4:57:57
But it's about I would say I would gather that it would be about 300 because we need to talk about being able to spread them around to Kony Islands, Staten Island Mhmm.
4:58:08
Bright Beach, and and Rockaway's, of course.
Shekar Krishnan
4:58:11
Right.
4:58:11
So 1200 to 1400 is overall.
4:58:13
Right?
Iris Rodriguez-Rosa
4:58:13
Yes.
4:58:13
Both the beaches.
4:58:14
Absolutely.
Chi Ossé
4:58:15
And
Iris Rodriguez-Rosa
4:58:15
it would include the pools.
4:58:16
Those would
Matt Drury
4:58:17
Right.
Shekar Krishnan
4:58:17
And the beaches and pools and for lifeguards, for the beaches.
4:58:20
Sorry.
4:58:20
Hopefully, you can get us that.
4:58:22
That number.
4:58:22
So what's the I mean, the moral day is around the corner.
4:58:24
So what's the plan, presumably, we don't have this staffing to fully staff our beaches.
4:58:32
SO How ARE YOU ALL PLAYING TO OPERATE WHICH BEACHES ARE OPEN AND WHEN How IS THAT GOING TO WORK?
Sue Donoghue
4:58:38
OUR PLAN IS TO OPEN ALL OF THE BEACHES and just as we have done in prior years, council member, we will open base as we have lifeguards available.
4:58:47
So it means that we may not be able to open the entire stretch of beach, and it's it's very uncommon that that happens given the 14 miles of beaches we have across the city.
4:58:58
But what we do is we provide lifeguards at base with as many lifeguards as we can.
4:59:05
So we spread out in open areas as we have lifeguards to staff them.
Shekar Krishnan
4:59:08
Got it.
4:59:09
I mean, I think, you know, we we should just be clear about it that while the pools while the beaches will be open, or pools will be open.
4:59:16
The fact is that the schedule will be affected and limited given the fact that we don't have enough life cards to fully staff all of them.
4:59:24
Right?
4:59:24
I think it's just important to be clear about that because, you know, yes, we can open them, but they're not functioning as they should be.
4:59:31
Because we don't have enough lifeguards to make that happen.
4:59:33
Right?
Sue Donoghue
4:59:34
Right.
4:59:34
Due to yep.
4:59:35
Absolutely.
4:59:35
And what is a national lifeguard shortage?
4:59:37
Absolutely.
4:59:38
We are being impacted just like city around the country with not having enough lifeguards.
4:59:42
Yep.
Shekar Krishnan
4:59:43
Right.
4:59:43
But I I also would add with more resources, I do think you all could do more to both expand the hiring process, bring in more or create more opportunities.