Q&A
Lifeguard recruitment and training efforts with DOE students
1:08:44
·
152 sec
Council Member Krishnan inquires about efforts to recruit and train DOE students as lifeguards. Commissioner Donoghue outlines the Parks Department's extensive recruitment efforts.
- Parks Department has increased recruitment efforts, resulting in a 45% increase in new recruits
- Collaboration with DOE includes tabling at swim meets and attending swim practices
- Discussion about potential expansion of certification methods to increase the lifeguard force
Shekar Krishnan
1:08:44
And on another point, wage legislation that we're hearing today, are parks and DOE currently engaging in any efforts to recruit and train students at DOE schools who may be interested in working as lifeguards?
Sue Donoghue
1:08:58
Absolutely.
1:08:59
Yes.
1:08:59
It's a big part of our conversation is working closely and hand in hand with DOE.
1:09:04
And as I said, there's an extensive the the amount of work that this team did on recruitment going to PSAL events, tabling at swim needs, attending swim practices at schools, universities, talking with coaches across the city.
1:09:22
And I think that's really why that extensive recruitment effort is why we saw that 45% increase in new recruits, and those new recruits were between the ages of 16 18.
1:09:32
So high school students certainly got the message and came out, and that's where we saw a lot of growth, and that's where we're gonna continue that close partnership with Dewey and continue to work hard to attract those young people.
Shekar Krishnan
1:09:44
And would you agree that if the testing methods were expanded, not just the parts department test, but also Red Cross Certification or YMCA, that we might be able to see an increase in the size of the lifeguard force that we have with allowing more and varied forms of testing that are already being employed in other non park department pools Would that help to expand and increase the size of the lifeguard force?
Sue Donoghue
1:10:16
Thank you for the question.
1:10:17
And given that we haven't done it, I couldn't say definitively.
1:10:21
As I said, in my testimony, we're quite pleased.
1:10:25
We did make some changes to the Lifeguard contract that we I believe we're only beginning to reap the benefits of with the shallow water certification, and we'll continue to see increases in our numbers because of the changes that we've made, and this was historic.
1:10:41
It's been 40 years since that contract was changed.
1:10:45
The changing any kind of certification process would be be based on collective bargaining.
1:10:53
So that would that's a process we'd have to go through.
Shekar Krishnan
1:10:56
But it is true that the Parks department pools have a different test than, let's say, YMCA pools or other you know, even DOE pools or school pools.
1:11:07
Are there different tests employed at these different pools?
Sue Donoghue
1:11:10
There is a curriculum that's specific to the New York City lifeguard certification process.
1:11:15
Absolutely.
1:11:15
Yes.
