Pool’s out — for summer!
There is little chance the Big Apple will be able to open its outdoor public pools this summer due to staffing shortages and training snafus — despite Mayor Bill de Blasio publicly floating the notion in recent days — according to the head of the union representing city lifeguards.
“I’m not hopeful the pools will open,” said Henry Garrido, president of AFSCME District 37, who said the coronavirus pandemic has delayed and complicated training so badly that it is unlikely they can get staff certified in time.
“I don’t think we’ll be ready to have enough personnel — to do the training and get them certified — in time for the pools to reopen,” he told The Post.
Garrido said social distancing requirements and training changes required by the coronavirus outbreak forced the Parks Department and union to overhaul critical pieces of the training regime, like performing mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.
“It takes time to train these folks, they need to be certified and trained,” he said. “Because we started late, because of social distancing, that’s why we’re behind.”
Instead, he said the city and union have focused their efforts on getting lifeguards ready to patrol city beaches, offering some hope that New Yorkers will be able to find some escape from Gotham’s oft-sweltering summers.
The Parks Department’s 53 outdoor pools have been a staple of summer life for decades, attracting more than 1.7 million visitors during the summer of 2019 alone.
De Blasio axed the $12 million in funding to open the pools this season as part of a round of emergency budget cuts ordered as the coronavirus pandemic and subsequent economic shutdown caused tax revenues to plummet, opening a $9 billion budget hole.
City Hall attempted to battle back against widespread criticism over shuttering pools — and other popular summer programs — by arguing they simply wouldn’t be safe in the midst of the COVID-19 outbreak.
In recent days, and under fire for a lack of a comprehensive summer plan, Hizzoner hinted that efforts to contain the deadly virus had been successful enough to eye a possible reversal on both beaches and pools.
“We can start a conversation around pools,” de Blasio told reporters last week.
“The beaches, the pools. We’re now going to be reassessing everything,” he added, referencing the city’s metrics for tracking the spread of coronavirus. ““If we can do that, then we’re having a real conversation about beaches, for sure. If we can do that, there may even be a way to get back to pools. We’re not there yet.”
The administration confirmed in a statement that opening beaches to swimming was its top priority, while public pools would remain a longer shot.
“We are currently training lifeguards in order to open our beaches for swimming if and when it becomes safe,” said City Hall spokeswoman Jane Meyer. “We continue to recruit and train lifeguards, and are assessing if it is possible to open pools this summer.”
— Additional reporting by Julia Marsh