ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. — St. Louis County has raised the minimum wage for lifeguards and is offering incentives to work longer shifts this summer to help combat the shortage.
St. Louis County is among other counties and cities in the area experiencing a shortage of lifeguards and has increased wages to attract more.
Starting pay for seasonal lifeguards increased to $15 an hour, which is a $2 raise. The county provides training and certification as well, according to a press release.
Lifeguards also will receive an additional $200 incentive for those who work 30 hours or more from July 1 through Aug. 21, as well as a $50 bonus for those who work one shift per day during the last two weekends of the pool season.
“Our employees have done tremendous work to recruit lifeguards and train them to ensure that we can safely open all four of our county pools for residents and their families,” said Tom Ott, director of the Parks and Recreation Department.
Four St. Louis County pools will be open this weekend due to the summer heat, including North County Recreation Complex, Pavilion at Lemay, St. Vincent Community Center, and Kennedy Recreation Complex, according to the press release.
Below are the days and hours those pools will be open:
North County Recreation Complex: Open daily from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Pavilion at Lemay: Open daily from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m.
St. Vincent Community Center: Wednesday through Sunday from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Kennedy Recreation Complex: Friday through Sunday from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m.
)