Head Lifeguard

Job Description

Job Description

City of Piedmont is a charter city of approximately 11,000 residents located in the beautiful Oakland Hills, overlooking the San Francisco Bay. The city, which is virtually built out, consists of established residences on quiet tree-lined streets. Within Piedmont's 1.8 square-mile area there are five city parks and numerous landscaped areas which offer wooded paths, tennis courts, children's playgrounds and picnic facilities. The city will be opening a new all electric Community Pool featuring a state-of-the-art competition pool, activity pool and bathhouse facility.

DEFINITION

Head Lifeguards are responsible for ensuring the safety of all patrons at the City of Piedmont's Community Pool by actively monitoring the pool, enforcing safety rules, and responding swiftly to emergencies. They serve as first responders in incidents occurring in and around the pool, support daily operations, and help maintain a clean, welcoming and professional environment for all community members. This role is responsible for enforcing safety rules, monitoring for accidents, and performing rescues when needed. Additionally, the position assists with the day-to-day operations of the aquatics facility within the Recreation Department, including supporting supervision of staff, programs and facilities, providing planning, coordination, and instructional support for swim lessons and water safety programs as part of a comprehensive aquatics program.

CLASS CHARACTERISTICS

Under the direction of the Recreation Supervisor and Recreation Coordinator for Aquatics, Head Lifeguards are distinguished by their ability to take a leadership role on the lifeguarding team, acting quickly, calmly and appropriately in emergency situations, as needed. They support the aquatic leadership in day-to-day operations, contribute to strategic discussions and provide informed recommendations to support decision -making.

Head Lifeguard: In addition to an emphasis on foundational skills in surveillance, accident prevention, and emergency rescues, a Head Lifeguard must:

• Complete High school/GED with a preference for two years of college-level coursework in Recreation, Physical Education, or a related field
• Have 3+ seasons (500+ hours), with a preference for year-round experience, as a lifeguard
• Use strong leadership abilities to oversee and mentor a team of lifeguards and swim instructors
• Understand standard pool operations and follow established opening and closing procedures without immediate supervision
• Effectively guide and mentor Lifeguards I and II during their shifts and during training sessions

EXAMPLE OF DUTIES (Illustrative Only)*

• Assist in staff scheduling and training:
  • Help the Coordinator/Supervisor plan monthly schedules for lifeguards and swim instructors
  • Assist in the planning and coordination of staff training events to ensure all staff members are adequately prepared for their duties
  • Monitor staff performance and provide feedback and coaching to ensure adherence to safety protocols and service standards
• Aquatic program and facility operations:
  • Assist with the coordination and planning of all aquatics programs, including swim lessons, camps, sports events and special events
  • Monitor pool filtration equipment and ensure the pool's cleanliness and sanitation standards are maintained
  • Handle hazardous materials that are used in pool maintenance, in compliance with safety regulations
  • Assist with various pool maintenance tasks to keep the facility in excellent condition
  • Perform regular tasks such as removing and replacing pool covers, lane lines and inspecting facilities for safety
  • Prepare the facility for regular operations, including lap swim, rentals, and daily activities
  • Perform facility clean-up as necessary, including during and after shifts, and during special events
• Safety and emergency response:
  • Patrol and monitor the pool and surrounding areas to prevent accidents and ensure safety
  • Respond swiftly to emergencies by entering the water to perform rescues and providing CPR, oxygen administration, and first aid as needed
  • Provide emergency care and treatment until emergency medical services arrive, if required
  • Warn facility users of potential water hazards or dangerous activities and enforce safety rules to prevent accidents
• Customer service:
  • Provide excellent customer service by interacting with pool patrons, answering questions, and assisting with desk reception and phone support
  • Collect registrations, fees, and process receipts for aquatics programs. Enter and retrieve registration data on computer systems
  • Assist with managing and facilitating customer service tasks, including responding to inquiries and providing general information about the aquatics facility
• Event support and miscellaneous tasks:
  • Assist with the coordination of aquatics competitions (such as swim meets or water polo matches), events, and special programming throughout the year
  • Conduct inventory and facilitate purchasing of aquatic supplies and equipment
  • Perform other duties as assigned

Management reserves the rights to add, modify, change or rescind work assignments and to make reasonable accommodations so that qualified employees can perform the essential functions of the job.

QUALIFICATIONS

Knowledge of:

• Basic pool safety concerns and how to prevent accidents
• Lifeguarding rescues and assists, as taught by the American Red Cross
• Emergency care, including CPR and First Aid, as needed
• Computer systems, software, and modern business equipment to perform a variety of work tasks

Ability to:

• Maintain focus without having external or internal factors distract from the primary duty of surveillance
• Observe Lifeguards and other aquatics staff, providing feedback and coaching to help them improve skills and other areas of their jobs
• Explain, demonstrate and clarify to others the established aquatics or City of Piedmont Recreation policies, procedures and standards while applying a caring and concerned customer service approach
• Communicate effectively in person, by telephone, and in writing to explain and enforce rules, to help provide program information and to complete reports
• Follow instructions, respond to requests and follow up with supervisor as needed
• Understand and use a wide variety of resources and information, such as regulations, accident/incident reports, schedules, time sheets, patron complaints, correspondence and general operating manuals
• Work cooperatively with Recreation department personnel, patrons, volunteers, vendors representatives, school personnel, children, parents and the general public
• Respond quickly, calmly and appropriately in emergency situations to perform lifesaving and rescue techniques within scope of training, including administering CPR, O2 and first aid
• Apply functional reasoning in performing semi-routine functions involving standardized work with some choice of action
• Exercise judgment, decisiveness and creativity required in situations involving a variety of pre -defined duties subject to frequent change
• Assemble, copy, record and transcribe data and information, following a prescribed plan. Ability to compare, count, differentiate, measure and/ or sort data and information

REQUIREMENTS

Certifications:

• American Red Cross Lifeguard CPR/First Aid/AED
• Lifeguard Instructor (LGI) within 6 months of hire/promotion
• Title 22 certifications within 6 months of hire
• CPO (Certified Pool Operator) or AFO (Aquatic Facility Operator) within 6 months of hire or promotion

Physical Demands:

• Aquatic physical fitness: Must be able to perform lifeguarding duties, which include swimming, treading water, retrieving and/or lifting heavy swimmers over 100 pounds, ability to maintain attention during long periods in and around the pool
• Ability to exert moderate physical effort in maneuvering facility or aquatic equipment, typically involving some combination of stooping, kneeling, crouching and crawling, carrying, pushing and pulling. Ability to lift and carry up to 50 pounds
• Vision (which may be corrected) and hearing must be within normal range to be able to see and hear adults and children in life and/or health and safety endangering situations
• Ability to recognize and identify individual characteristics of colors, forms, sounds, odors, textures, etc. Associated with job-related objects, materials, and task, as well as human appearance and behavior

Environmental Elements:

• Ability to work outdoors, including participation in required lifeguard in-service in and out of the water for extended periods, exposed to sun, water, and varying weather conditions
• Ability to dress in a Lifeguard uniform and dress code throughout scheduled shifts
• Ability to work under moderately safe and comfortable conditions where exposure to environmental or job-related factors may cause discomfort and where there is a risk of temperature variations or extremes, odors, toxic or caustic chemicals, wetness, noise, violence, disease, blood or bodily fluids while rendering first aid and CPR
• Ability to work a flexible schedule, which may include evenings, weekends and holidays

Mathematical Abilities:

• Add, subtract, multiply and divide using decimals and/or percentages
• Perform basic computations with and without assistance of a calculator
• Solve mathematical equations using established formulas

First round of interviews is planned for the week of August 25; however, this position may remain open until filled.

Successful candidates must pass a Department of Justice live fingerprint scan, background reference checks, and a Tuberculosis screening prior to start of employment.