A Head Lifeguard runs the shift of Lifeguards (as many as 8), addresses escalating issues on the pool deck, and ensures that everything runs smoothly in the Aquatics Facility.  Guest Services staff at the Shakopee Community Center are not Lifeguard certified and are therefore not credentialed to supervise Lifeguards.

In the Summer, SandVenture has Assistant Aquatics Managers (Grade 060) filling the role of Head Lifeguard along with their many other responsibilities (concessions, maintenance, etc…).  When the Aquatics Facility opened at the Shakopee Community Center in 2017, the City created a full-time Aquatics Specialist to serve as Head Lifeguard to cover 40 day-time hours each week which cannot be filled with our primarily high-school age part-time lifeguard staff.  The evening and weekend Head Lifeguard shifts covered by our most qualified high-school aged lifeguard staff have been covered by our Water Safety Instructors and coded to the WSI position (Grade 040). 

Coding the Head Lifeguard shifts to what was intended only for swim lessons (WSI) complicates budget projections by blurring cost centers, unnecessarily restricts Head Lifeguard opportunities to qualified WSI’s which unintentionally closes the door of opportunity for otherwise qualified lifeguards who aren’t WSI’s to step up and grow, while creating an unnecessary situation of complexity and inflexibility.

Creating a Head Lifeguard classification at Grade 040 will not impact the budget, as this work has been occurring and has been coded to WSI, which should be restricted to swim lessons.  Coding the work of a Head Lifeguard to this new classification resolves the blurring and confusion of cost centers.  A Head Lifeguard classification no longer tied to a WSI qualification ensures that the most qualified lifeguarding staff continue to have opportunities to grow, incentivizing longevity so we might retain the staff we need to deliver the services we offer.  Lifeguards are hard to fill positions that are continuously in demand.

Recommend approval of the Head Lifeguard position description (Grade 040) for immediate use at the Shakopee Community Center, which facilitates discontinuing the practice of coding such duties to the WSI position.