Parks and rec department proposes lifeguard pay increase

The parks and recreation department wants to hire and retain lifeguards at the pool, and is asking the borough assembly to amend the current wage classification so as to offer more competitive salaries.

People shy away, Director Kate Thomas said, because the pay is low compared to the rest of Southeast, or anywhere else in Alaska, to do what is potentially a liability-incurring job — monitor the pool and dive in to help if someone is in danger.

The jobs are part time.

The current starting wage for lifeguards and recreation assistants is $10.34 an hour, minimum wage in Alaska under state law. The parks and recreation department proposes bumping it up to $13 per hour, to start, with a wage increase to $14 per hour as a part-time employee advances up through the pay scale.

Juneau pays its part-time lifeguards about $18 an hour. Mt. Edgecumbe pool in Sitka offers lifeguards a starting wage of $17.16 per hour. Lifeguards in Nikiski on the Kenai Peninsula are offered $18.19 per hour; in Ketchikan, $16 is offered to lifeguards and swim instructors; and lifeguards in Haines can make between $13.62 to $15.18 an hour.

A letter drafted by Jeanie Arnold, the parks and recreation advisory board chairperson, to be sent to the borough supports increased wages for temporary part-time staff of the department. Lifeguards must be American Red Cross certified, which requires nearly 30 hours of instruction in first aid training, CPR, how to use a defibrillator, water rescues, and other lifesaving interventions.

All of this training is required before someone would even be eligible for their first paycheck.

“It is challenging to recruit for these positions, especially when the pay scale is so low. We have several parents on our lifeguard team that have gotten certified so that their own kids can swim without the interruption of cancellations due to staff shortages,” Arnold wrote.

The parks and recreation board discussed the letter at its March 9 meeting, with the members unanimously signing off on the request. The board planned to send the letter to Borough Manager Jeff Good, Mayor Steve Prysunka and borough assembly members.