The heat is on. And the City of Philadelphia is making sure there is a place for residents to cool off everywhere in the area.
All 60 of the “available” outdoor pools in the city are expected to open this summer. The announcement was delivered by Philadelphia Parks & Recreation Commissioner Susan Slawson as the city began opening its pools on a rolling basis on June 17.
“It takes months of preparation across city departments to get our beloved public pools ready for a summer of fun,” said Mayor Cherelle Parker. “I’m grateful in particular to all of the Parks & Rec staff who recruited and hired lifeguards and pool staff; painted and fixed pools; and ensured they are welcoming for deserving residents. Together, we will make Philadelphia the Safest, Cleanest and Greenest Big City in America, with Economic Opportunity for All.”
City Council President and South Philly native Kenyatta Johnson was on hand to celebrate the opening of Chew Playground pool at 1800 Washington Ave. to participate in the first plunge of the season.
Other South Philly Pools that have opened through June 23 are Murphy Pool (300 Shunk St.), Barry Pool (1800 Johnston St.) and Sacks Pool (400 Washington Ave.). Other South Philly pools are expected to open later this summer. Subsequent pool openings will be added to phila.gov/ppr. Ten pools across the city will not open this summer, due to ongoing Rebuild project construction or necessary capital repairs. However, none of those 10 locations are in South Philly neighborhoods.
“Everyone deserves the opportunity to safely cool down during the hottest months, no matter what ZIP code they live in,” Slawson said. “For many Philadelphians, city pools are their summer vacation, and I’m proud that Parks & Rec is on track to open every ‘available’ pool this summer. Thank you, Philadelphia, for stepping up and giving back as lifeguards and pool maintenance attendants.”
According to city officials, about 350 lifeguards and 305 pool maintenance attendants are employed at pools this summer despite an ongoing national lifeguard shortage.
The city went to extensive measures to make it happen. Strategies included offering an end-of-summer hiring bonus of $1,000 to any candidate who applied to be a lifeguard by April 15, and a $500 bonus to any candidate who applied by May 15. It also continued a no-cost training and application process to any lifeguard candidate 24 or under. Other partnerships including FabYouthPhilly, St. Joseph’s Preparatory School and Friends Select School offered training locations and funding. College credits were also offered to Temple University students to complete a season as a lifeguard.
All public pools will once again host mandatory swim lessons for Parks & Rec’s 6,000 summer campers. Free swim lessons will also be available for children, and select pools will offer swim lessons for adults.
“This summer, we are shaping the future lifeguards of Philadelphia by requiring mandatory swim lessons for our campers and offering free swim lessons for children,” said AnneMarie Dunne, Philadelphia Parks & Recreation’s Deputy Commissioner of Programs. “We are also offering aquatics programming that includes adult fitness classes, thanks to support from the Philadelphia Department of Public Health. There’s something for Philadelphians of all ages to enjoy at their local pool.”
