Kids & Family
Only 4 City Pools Will Open On Sunday In Concord
16 lifeguards who committed to the job but changed their minds due to sports, other reasons, so fewer pools will open due to lack of staff.
CONCORD, NH — Only four city pools will be opening this summer, according to the Concord Parks and Recreation Department.
On Sunday, pools at Keach, Merrill, Rolfe, and Rollins parks will open for the season. Other pools, like White Park and Kimball, will not be opening due to staffing shortages.
Some Concord city councilors previously raised concerns earlier this year about the lack of a living wage for lifeguards. Lifeguards are being paid between $12 and $15 an hour. However, wages were not the reason for the lack of staffing.
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According to the department, 16 people who agreed to be lifeguards either resigned due to other commitments or could not pass certification classes. Scheduling with other jobs, scheduling with sports, and personal issues were some of the reasons for the other commitments.
“This significant reduction in staffing prevents the department from opening other pools at this time,” Stefanie Breton, a public information officer for the city, said. “The four pools opening on Sunday were chosen based on the locations with the highest participation levels.”
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Breton said the department hoped to open other pools if and when additional staffers were hired and trained.
City pool rules require a lifeguard to be on duty when the pools are open, even though during the summer, recreation areas near rivers like the Sewalls Falls Recreation Area, which is run by the state, or Daisy Beach along the Contoocook River, are unstaffed by lifeguards but utilized by swimmers looking to cool off.
The pools will be open from 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. and 6 to 7:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, and 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.
The pools are free to Concord and Penacook residents with identification. IDs should be brought every time a resident visits a pool.
Non-residents can buy a season-long pool pass for $125 or a 48-hour pass for $20. Both passes can be purchased at the parks and recreation office at the citywide community center at 14 Canterbury Road.
Pools will be open in the city through Aug. 12.
Community pool rules can be found here. More information about the department and its offerings can be found online here.
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