lifeguards

Mayor Eric Adams announced the Elyjha Chandler and Christian Perkins Swim for Life program.

Mayor Eric Adams says the city will no longer require trainees to do a timed 300-yard swim in shallow-water pools.

The move stems from a new labor agreement and is meant to help the city overcome a lifeguard shortage.

Staffing shortages last summer led to cutting hours that New Yorkers could spend at some pools and beaches.

The city faces a post-pandemic lifeguard shortage that has curtailed services and programming at pools and beaches.

Three bills are designed to expand pool access and avoid a repeat of last summer.

The city and union also agreed to develop a training program that would allow all 17 mini pools to open.

The Parks Department has warned repeatedly about the shortage of lifeguards this year, which they said could prompt closures or shortened hours in the coming weeks.

The pay increases are part of a greater push to encourage more lifeguards to apply. The raise does not affect New York City lifeguards.

Multiple lifeguards said a ban on swimming along stretches of Rockaway Beach was a recipe for disaster. They worried that people would venture into the water unsupervised. For some, two deaths on Friday night were seen as a grim confirmation of those fears.