AUSTIN, Texas — Aaron Levine, aquatics supervisor with Austin Parks and Recreation Department, has a love for helping people and being outdoors. Levine became a lifeguard at the age of 15, which marked the first time he saved a life.
“The first time I saved a life, it’s a feeling you can’t explain and I just got hooked on it,” said Levine.
As the aquatics supervisor, Levine is still practicing safety first when it comes to lifeguard shortages in Central Texas. The department stated that due to the need for certified open-water lifeguards, the pool at Barton Springs will close twice a week.
“We are not looking to shut down pools, but we also won’t compromise on safety. If we don’t have enough lifeguards, we won’t open the pools and we cannot operate them without the proper number of lifeguards,” said Levine.
The popular pool at Barton Springs attracts thousands of people a day.
Levine says the pool at Barton Springs requires about 100 open-water lifeguards in order to fully operate this season, with 20 to 30 lifeguards on staff for each shift.
“Our goal is to get lifeguarded bodies of water open across the city. Instead of just shutting down a whole facility, we’re going to limit the hours so we can operate this pool and operate another one in another part of the city,” said Levine
The department is hoping to make a splash by offering incentives in hopes of getting more lifeguards on duty this season.
“We’re offering $15 an hour to start. We’ve got a $500 completion bonus, so if you get signed on by June 1 and stay through August, working 3 shifts a week, we will pay you $500 at the end of the summer,” said Levine.
Barton Springs Pool will close on Mondays and Wednesdays beginning March 21 due to the lack of open-water lifeguards. The pool will remain closed on Thursdays from 8 a.m. through 7 p.m. for regularly scheduled cleaning
More information about how you can become a lifeguard is posted on the city’s website.