ROCK HILL S.C. (CN2 News) – It’s a hot summer already, and while a good pool day is always on someone’s mind, it may not be possible right here in Rock Hill.
Garnet McKeown is the Recreation Division Supervisor for the Rock Hill Parks Recreation and Tourism department, and says the pandemic and a staff shortage were the main to reasons for the pool’s closure until now.
“We contract with Trident Pools to run our pools” says McKeown, “and they just haven’t been able to hire enough life guards, so that’s why the pools have been closed.”
And while Emmett Scott Recreation Center did decide to open its gates to the Rock Hill community again, the other three city public pools remain closed.
“It’s because it’s a smaller pool and it’s easier to staff. We only have about two or three life guards,” McKeown says.
Jessica Bolling is one of those “two or three” lifeguards, who says it’s a challenge with limited staff.
“Sometime sits hard to find hours cause either they’re all filled up on life guards or no one’s working and you can work” she says. “It’s just hard to get kids to commit to working because fifteen and sixteen year old’s are going to be like ‘nah I don’t want to work so it’s hard to get people out here sometimes and it does get aggravating sometimes.”
While the shortage continues, the staff benefits grow – and the application process isn’t too hard either.
McKneown says “Contact Trident Pools and they can sign up there, they are offering some hourly bonuses, training for free, maybe some free uniforms so there’s no reason not too, so come on out and help us open our pool.”
