JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-RANDOLPH, Texas –
Summer is not quite around the corner, but aquatic centers
and pools throughout Joint Base San Antonio will soon be advertising for
lifeguards to meet the facilities’ needs during the 2016 swimming season.
“The lifeguard announcement will be posted on USAJobs
sometime around spring break,” said Dave Waugh, Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam
Houston Aquatic Center manager. “The jobs will also be advertised with fliers
at the different facilities.”
The pools will hire lifeguards at three general schedule pay
grades – GS-2 for lifeguards, GS-3 for lifeguard/water safety instructors and
GS-4 for lead lifeguard/WSIs. WSIs are also certified to teach swimming
lessons.
Waugh said there is a need for lifeguards at JBSA
facilities.
“There has been a real problem in previous years getting
enough lifeguards to run all the programs and work during posted operating
hours,” he said. “I know that last year I was short 10 employees.”
Waugh said he hopes to hire 31 lifeguards at JBSA-Fort Sam
Houston – 23 at the GS-2 level, five at the GS-3 level and three at the GS-4
level.
JBSA-Lackland’s facilities – the indoor Skylark Aquatic
Center and the outdoor Warhawk Pool – and JBSA-Randolph’s outdoor South and
Center pools are also seeking lifeguards.
“We hope to hire a total of 23 positions, which include
lifeguards, water safety instructors and lead lifeguard/water safety
instructors,” said Stephanie Soto, JBSA-Lackland aquatics manager. “I'm excited
to lead a dynamic group of lifeguards this summer.”
Waugh said lifeguards must be certified.
“All employees must be currently certified as lifeguards by
having successfully completed the American Red Cross Lifeguard Course within
the last two years,” he said. “The course certifies them in lifeguarding, first
aid, cardiopulmonary resuscitation and automated external defibrillator
operation. Certification is valid for two years.”
The American Red Cross course is taught at JBSA-Fort Sam
Houston and JBSA-Lackland.
“The class has instruction in rescue skills in the aquatic
environment,” Waugh said. “A lot of time is spent on preventive lifeguarding
and safety at the pool. We also teach first aid, CPR and AED.”
The year’s first lifeguard class at the JBSA-Fort Sam
Houston Aquatic Center was taught Feb. 13-15. The next class is planned for 9
a.m. to 4 p.m. March 12-13 and March 19-20, followed by a class from 9 a.m. to
4 p.m. March 26-27 and April 2-3.
A blended-learning lifeguard class is also scheduled 9 a.m.
to 5 p.m. March 12-15 at JBSA-Lackland’s Skylark Aquatic Center and Skylark
Community Center. Soto said other classes will follow.
The JBSA-Fort Sam Houston Aquatic Center will also conduct
water safety instructor classes in the weeks ahead. The first class is
scheduled 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. March 14-18; the second class is planned for 8 a.m.
to 4 p.m. April 9-10, 5-9 p.m. April 13 and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. April 16-17. This certification is required for the GS-3 and GS-4
positions.
The lifeguard and water safety instructor courses cost $160
each and require passing a pre-test. The lifeguard course is open to anyone 15
or older who can pass the pre-test; the WSI course is open to anyone who is 16
or older on the last day of the class.
Waugh said lifeguard applicants must have a certification
that will be valid throughout the summer. They also must be a student, at least
16 years old and able to pass a background check, physical examination and
urinalysis.
Lifeguards need not be military dependents, Waugh said.
“At Fort Sam, new employees tend to be high school students,
and then they work every summer throughout college,” he said. “Unfortunately,
people have the idea that you have to be a military dependent to work, but that
is not true. I have had my best luck recruiting from JROTC and ROTC units.”
Waugh also said lifeguards serve as customer service
representatives, cashiers and custodians in addition to their lifeguarding
duties.
The JBSA-Fort Sam Houston Aquatic Center, a heated outdoor
facility, is open for lap swimming now and for recreational swimming starting
Memorial Day weekend. For more information, call 221-4887.
The JBSA-Lackland Skylark Aquatic Center is open year-round,
while the Warhawk Pool is open from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day. For
more information, call 671-3780.
The JBSA-Randolph South Pool is open from mid-June to
mid-August for swim lessons and lap swimming; the Center Pool is open starting
Memorial Day weekend for recreational swimming. For more information, call
652-5142, option 1.