As the temperatures climb and warmer months near, concerns are surfacing about whether the Chicago Park District will have enough lifeguards to properly staff the city's beaches and pools during the summer.
The park district is offering a number of perks to attract candidates, including a $600 bonus and a chance to win tickets to sporting events and Lollapalooza - on top of $16.19 an hour.
"I am telling this to every teen in the city, if you are a strong swimmer, it is a great job opportunity," said Mary Sheridan with the Chicago Fire Department.
Some worry that pools and beaches could face yet another summer of closures and sporadic hours. Last year, a shortage of lifeguards caused the city's outdoor pools to open late.
One-third of public pools in the U.S. were impacted by lifeguard shortages last year, according to the American Lifeguard Association.
"America takes lifeguarding for granted," said Wyatt Werneth with the American Lifeguard Association. "They don’t recognize lifeguards for the professionals that they are."
Without fundamental changes in how the job is viewed, the association says shortages will continue.
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"Over the years – we recognized them as being that summer job, and it is not – it really is a professional EMS position," Werneth said.
Nowadays, some communities are including lifeguards with fire departments instead of park districts.
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"You got to be part of that professional entity in order to make that advancement in recognition," Werneth added.
Dave Benjamin with the Great Lakes Surf Project offered one possible solution, taking from the American Red Cross' playbook.
"How do we solve this problem...The Red Cross many, many years ago used to have every one a swimmer, every swimmer a lifeguard," he explained. "And that should be the approach that anyone who learns how to swim should also learn how to lifeguard as well. And it's going to increase the pool of people who could become lifeguards who may, you know, choose it as a profession."
The Chicago Park District told NBC 5 in a statement: "We are very optimistic about the success of our hiring campaign efforts, and continue in the process of recruiting for summer lifeguards."
