MACON, Ga. — Macon's public pools are scheduled to open up for the summer, but that might be delayed.
"We have a lifeguard shortage," said the director of the county's Parks and Recreation Department, Robert Walker.
The public pool at the Frank Johnson Recreation Center will still open up on Saturday, but to open all pools, the county needs more lifeguards fast.
Walker says they need a total of 23 lifeguards to operate their pools at full capacity. Right now, they have only eight and other pools are also facing this problem.
"We missed a year last year, so we aren't able to bring those lifeguards that were here last year back because either their certification expired or they've moved on to other things," said Walker.
They're looking for lifeguards who are 18 and older and have a G.E.D or a high school diploma.
"Having lifeguards is really important to the safety of everyone," said Alecia Dumas.
It's her second year working as a lifeguard at Rigby's. She says she enjoys getting paid doing what she loves, but she also loves the skills that she's picked up.
"Learning those skills of CPR, we learn about heart attacks, we learn about strokes, drowning, heat deprivation -- all of those skills are really important to learn at a young age," said Dumas.
Both Walker and Dumas encourage anyone who has the chance to be a lifeguard to do it.
"It's an exciting job to do. Kids come out and want to have fun and it's all about safety. We want to make sure our kids and everyone who visits the pool is safe when they come out here," Walker said.
If you're interested in working at a Macon pool, the pay starts off at $10.
To apply, head to the county's website and click on the "employment” tab. People can also stop by the Human Resources Department at 700 Poplar St to fill out an application. They're open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
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