GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — The city of Grand Rapids will offer free certification as it looks to hire lifeguards for public pools this summer.
The certification from the American Red Cross costs $275 and is valid for two years. The city’s parks and recreation department will pay the fee to hire 75 lifeguards.
Those interested in becoming a lifeguard must be 15 years or older. To be eligible for the free certification, they must pass the two to three-day course and agree to work at one of the city’s public pools at Briggs, Martin Luther King or Richmond parks during the 2024 season.
“By offering free lifeguard certification, we’re opening the doors to a new segment of potential lifeguards who may not have had the means to apply in the past,” Parks and Recreation Director David Marquardt said in a news release.
It’s the third year the department has offered the free certification. The city said it has been able to fully staff its pools despite a recent national lifeguard shortage.