The City of Ocala’s Aquatic Fun Centers will implement a reduction in hours of operation beginning Tuesday, July 12. These reduced hours of operation are being initiated to maintain state safety guidelines amid a critical lifeguard shortage. According to the American Lifeguard Association, there is a nation-wide lifeguard shortage affecting about a third of the country’s public pools.
“Unfortunately, this has been a trend over the last several years, even before COVID-19,” says Ocala Recreation and Parks Director, Preston Pooser. “We have experienced increased challenges in recruitment and retention of summer lifeguards. We begin the annual recruitment process as early as February and offer highly competitive pay. However, only 60% of our positions were filled this summer.
“We must follow stringent state safety guidelines that include a 25 to 1 swimmer to lifeguard ratio. Due to attrition and limited availability of lifeguards to work through the remainder of the summer sessions, we are currently unable to safely staff both pools simultaneously. The safety of our guests is first and foremost, so we must adjust our pool hours and days of operation to ensure we have enough lifeguards to safely operate each facility. Should staffing availability change, pool hours will be adjusted.”
The Jervey Gantt Aquatic Fun Center, 2390 SW 36th Ave. and the Hampton Aquatic Fun Center, 255 NW Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd., will alternate operating days and continue to host two sessions per day.
Effective July 12, pool hours of operations will be as follows:
Hampton Aquatic Fun Center
- Wednesday, July 13 – 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 2 to 5 p.m.
- Friday, July 15 – 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 2 to 5 p.m.
- Tuesday, July 19 – 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 2 to 5 p.m.
- Thursday, July 21 – 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 2 to 5 p.m.
- Saturday, July 23 – 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 2 to 5 p.m.
- Wednesday July 27 – 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 2 to 5 p.m.
- Friday, July 29 – 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 2 to 5 p.m.
- Saturday, July 30 – 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 2 to 5 p.m. *
Jervey Gantt Aquatic Fun Center
- Tuesday, July 12 – 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 2 to 5 p.m.
- Thursday, July 14 – 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 2 to 5 p.m.
- Saturday, July 16 – 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 2 to 5 p.m.
- Wednesday, July 20 – 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 2 to 5 p.m.
- Friday, July 22 – 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 2 to 5 p.m.
- Tuesday, July 26 – 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 2 to 5 p.m.
- Thursday, July 28 – 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 2 to 5 p.m.
- Saturday, July 30 – 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 2 to 5 p.m.
If staffing levels meet safety guidelines
Admission per session for a single individual is $2 for children ages 17 and under and $3.50 for adults ages 18 and up.
For more information, visit www.ocalafl.org/aquatics or call the City of Ocala Recreation and Parks Department at 352-368-5517.
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