Complaint about Lifeguards

Anyone know of to whom we should direct complaints about the lifeguards and their management company?

Not sure if anyone else has noticed, I do not believe they are doing an adequate job.
- Complete lack of attention on the water when being relieved/switched (talking, putting on lotion, getting clothes/towels just right -- all of which is acceptable to do as long as you have one eye on the water but these guards don't).
- Rarely (at least at the kid friendly pool we go to) do you see more than 1 guard on duty at a time when they are clearly needed (and there will be 3-4 of them there)
- General lack of attention on the water while they are on duty (no, not all the guards but I have noticed at least one).
- They do not enforce any rules in the infant swim area (big kids practically trampling over infants at the adult only swim time because they can't swim in the bigger pool).
- I have never seen or heard of any of them doing a practice rescue. (Granted I might not be there to see when/if they do this - I hope in the new pool they do this often as from experience, they will need it - a pool that size and diving board will be very unlikely to not have a minimum of 3-4 saves this summer from someone hitting the board on the way in or a kid finding out he/she really can't swim to the ladder )

BTW - before getting old and cranky and you think I am being overly critical, I was a lifeguard for over 6 years at pools and beaches. None of the above would ever be accepted anywhere I worked. Now to be honest, I don't hold it against the lifeguards but rather the management company for their lack of training and monitoring of their guards. It is not acceptable at a pool where 100+ patrons could be to have any of the above happening at any time.

Vinny

 

Contact the HOA or Van Meter. I usually don't care what the other lifeguards are doing as long as the one on duty is keeping their eye and attention on the people in the water.

-Teak
Former Fairfax Co RecCenter Lifeguard

 

I'll get this information to Wes and NV Pools, the company that won the bid to manage our pools again this year. The lifeguards are all staff of NVPools.

Thanks -
Jan

 

Vinny
I am the liason between the Homeowners and NV pools the company hired by th HOA to run our pools any life gaurd issuses that you see that concern you I would like to hear. Especially lifegaurds that are not being attentive to children or anyone in the water. I know that NV does have regular meetings that all life gaurds must attend to practice saves, etc. so I am not concerend about a lack of preparedness. However if you notice especially any one particular gaurd who is not performing as you would expect please email me directly at ssdkapinos@yahoo.com and or call me 703 723 1984. I will try to make surprise apperences at all the pools this week and see what I can observe.

Staci

 

Wasn't there a drowning recently near by like in Herndon. I think I read that the lifeguards found a child at the bottom of the pool and the child died. Don't know all the details but I think the drowning happened during pool hours.

Hey msflynn, I would observe them from a distance. Watch them for an hour and see what they are doing. Being a lifeguard was my favorite job I ever held. Best times of my life!

-Teak

 

So far this year I have only been to the Southern Walk pool. I have been pleased with the lifeguard performance there. As an HOA board member, I tend to watch with a critical eye.
Cliff

 

Yes, but I believe I read that a parent was there, so it should be the parents who are responsible for their children -- not a complete stranger.

 

For $6.00 an hour, I think they do a pretty good job....

 

Just want to publicly say thanks to Staci.. She has monitored the pools and has made comments/recommendations to NV Pools.

Also, my last visit at the pool showed no signs of the issues I stated above so it looks like my areas of concern have been alleviated.



I do want to impress on everyone that the chances of a drowning are very small especially with lifeguards but the name of the game is to reduce risk and make the chances even smaller -- I would never want to be the parent that looses a child to drowning at a pool where lifeguards are working. Not to mention the affect it would have to the lifeguards whose job it was to prevent that from happening.

To Cgyr -- yes it is the parent's responsibility to look out for their child but it is the Lifeguard's job when they are in the pool. That is what they get paid for and have received training for. Their main job should not be to get a patron out of trouble but to prevent one from getting into trouble in the first place. Sometimes one simply can't do that but for instance if they feel a child/baby is at risk at any time, they have the right and the responsibility to ask the parent to be present in the water with the child if not to remove the child from the water. Their job is to routinely identify everyone in the water as someone at risk or not and act appropriately.

As a final note, if you did not know, NV Pools is the management company that manages the pool where the girl drowned last week -- I am not implying that they or the guards on duty were the cause in anyway (especially since the details are scarce) but if it can happen there, it can happen here in the Broadlands. My comments and concern arise from that possibility and experience -- BTW, I did not know about the drowning when I first posted.

Vinny

 

As a parent of two young swimmers I feel that it is ultimately MY responsiblility NOT the the lifeguards to monitor my childrens activites in and around any body of water. Lifeguards are not on duty on all boats, ponds, rivers, canals, etc. It is much easier for me to supervise them from the poolside than to monitor the lifeguards to see if they are looking out for my kid. You know your kids better than they do and therefore you should intervene when your kid is engaging in inappropriate or dangerous water activities. Pool rules are posted for you and your kids safety. Learn them and enforce them. Do you really want wait till you hear the lifeguards whistle directed at your child before you pay attention? The swimming pool is not playcare where once they are in the water you can doze or otherwise distract yourself. The less distracted the lifeguards are from irresponsible horseplay and kids running on deck the more attention they can direct towards distressed swimmers. Bottom line is until your kids are swimmers skilled enough to rescue you from the water, you should be alert enough to help rescue them.

FYI: I was on the Board of a HOA in Herndon where there was a serious incident at the community pool occured between a lifeguard and some pre-teens whose parents were not present. For what its worth, the NV Pools guards @ the Southern Walk pool I have seen have been attentive and responsible.