ORANGEBURG, S.C. — As temperatures heat up ahead of the summer months, a lot of people are getting ready to go to the pool. But Orangeburg County YMCA joins countless other pool centers nationwide in saying there's been a small selection pool for lifeguards.
“First and foremost, it’s all about safety," said Executive Director Demetrius Hardy.
Hardy says this safety is upheld in part by having a full staff of lifeguards. As of now, the staff is operating at 60 percent capacity, and in the county the selection pool for qualified lifeguards has been even smaller.
“I was told that Orangeburg County has one of the highest rates of drowning in the state of South Carolina, so that goes to show we don’t have a population of strong swimmers to begin with, and so we have a facility that requires strong swimmers in order to safely staff it for a community where there aren’t a lot of strong swimmers," said Hardy.
Due to the limited lifeguards, the Orangeburg and Santee parks will operate one day a week. They are looking to hire up to 90 lifeguards this summer and are offering American Red Cross Lifeguard certification courses this weekend May 20-22 and June 6-8.
“There are different entities in the county that where we can form some partnerships to start to create a pipeline where we can constantly have an adequate number of lifeguards," said Hardy.
Participants who successfully complete the Lifeguarding course receive an American Red Cross certificate for Lifeguarding/First Aid/CPR/AED and Administering Emergency Oxygen, valid for 2 years.
There is a $175 fee for members and $225 for nonmembers. There are need based scholarships available to offset the cost of classes.
For more information, contact aquatics director Alex Davis (803) 268-9622. alexdavis@columbiaymca.org.