Stay cool safely; Grand Rapids lifeguards stand between fun and tragedy

If a shrill whistle and a stern warning of 'NO RUNNING' is a familiar sound to you during the summer, then you are lucky. Our Grand Rapids public pools at Briggs, Martin Luther King, and Richmond Parks offer an oasis for many kids in the city when temperatures soar.

Andy Curtis

"Honestly [the pool is] just, a great place for neighbors to connect, and kids to see each other in the summer with their friends and just be a safe space for a lot of families," said Grand Rapids public pools supervisor Elizabeth Brown.

It is a safe place because of lifeguards like Nora Gloege.

"So many kids that are in tough family situations come here, and it's a safe space for them," Nora told me.

According to the American Red Cross, the numbers carry the most sobering testimony in the push for lifeguards.

Of the 10 people who die each day from unintentional drowning, an average of 2 of them are under age 14.

Unintentional drownings by the numbers:

• Second only to birth defects as a cause of death for children ages 1-4
• #1 cause of death for those with autism, no matter the age
  
  
  • Children with autism spectrum disorder are 160 times more likely to experience nonfatal and fatal drowning than their neurotypical peers.
• Second only to motor vehicle crashes in deaths among children ages 1-14
• For every child who dies from drowning, 5 more receive emergency care for nonfatal submersion injuries.

— American Red Cross

That is why every lifeguard – like the ones here at Martin Luther King Park Pool - are trained and re-trained to jump into action without hesitation.

"Every one of them is certified," said Brown. "Their certification is every two years. But we do these trainings once a week."

Training includes CPR and first aid along with water rescue— techniques that come in handy in an emergency.

Every lifeguard I talked with told me they’d saved someone struggling in the pool — and when they needed to act all their practice made perfect.

Andy Curtis

“I’ve saved three people," George told me.

"I think I've saved 10 People over my three years." fellow lifeguard Zach Hrtemink added, really driving home the fact that their knowledge and skills are needed to help make summer memories for the kids of Grand Rapids.

"I love the community and the bond that the lifeguards share, and then also the bonds that you create with the patrons and the kids in the neighborhood," said George.

Beyond the weight of their duties, lifeguards reap the benefits of a job like no other.

"I love hanging out with the guards being outside all summer," added Hrtemink. "Getting to hang out with the kids. It's really fun coming back and seeing the same kids here every year. Every day.

If you would like to make a splash this summer as a Grand Rapids lifeguard check out this link over to the city's human resources website.

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