CINCINNATI — The struggle to hire more lifeguards continues to plague the Cincinnati Recreation Commission.
The CRC is only able to open three of its more than 20 pools for Memorial Day weekend — Dunham, McKee and Oakley.
On June 6, five additional CRC pools will open — Dempsey, Evanston, Hirsch, Lincoln and Pleasant Ridge.
Dickman Pool in Mount Washington and Mount Washington Pool are the next on the list to open if the CRC is able to hire more lifeguards.
At last check, the CRC has 87 registered lifeguards ready to work, but it takes 250 lifeguards to open all of the CRC pools.
CRC Director Daniel Betts says the biggest challenge to hiring qualified lifeguards is the pay.
CRC lifeguards only make about $11 to $11.50 an hour.
However, for those interested, there is a $750 signing bonus available right now to incentive the positions.
Officials say they have nearly 100 new applicants and they’ll put those candidates through interviews and testing. If things go well, it’s possible they’ll have enough staff to open more pools.
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