The Arlington Heights Aquatics Department happened upon an untapped workforce the last few summers: adults who are avid swimmers and want to help keep neighborhood pools open, after teenage lifeguards return to school. They affectionately refer to themselves as the “senior staff.”
Adult guard Doug Fasching on duty
Aquatics Director Rob Gussey credits these adult lifeguards with helping to keep pools open after Labor Day. In fact, this summer, Recreation Pool stayed open through Sept. 17 and during that two-week span, the pool drew 1,318 membership scans and those do not include the daily paid admission.
“We certainly would not be able to provide this opportunity for our community if it weren’t for these outstanding retired adults that we have working for us,” Gussey says.
SuburbTalk was able to connect with some of them and find out what drew them to step up. After all, they had to take an intensive on-line certification course through Jeff Ellis & Associates and pass a water rescue test, just like their teenage counterparts. But all of them already were avid swimmers and they applied to help meet staffing needs.
Take Laura. She formerly worked in logistics and administration for the federal government. Now retired, she has come to enjoy the pools and aquatics classes. When she saw a “lifeguards wanted” banner hanging at Rec Pool, she approached manager Troy Lukas about applying. She had been a lifeguard as a teen, but hadn’t been back in the chair in a long time.
Laura often worked from 5:30 to 9 a.m. as a deck attendant.
“Of utmost importance to me was that I didn’t want to be a hinderance or burden by being on the payroll,” Laura says, “and I didn’t want to take hours away from any teenager or employee who wanted to work.”
She passed the on-line certification and the in-water training, but she was out of town for the lifeguard certification, consequently she was hired as a deck attendant, to monitor the pool when lifeguards are not on duty.
Another adult guard is Doug Fasching, who also works as a swim instructor. He specializes in working one-on-one with the teen or adult beginner swimmer, who was “not comfortable in the water.” He is a lifelong swimmer himself, and has three grown daughters who were competitive swimmers and as a result, he understands the importance of water safety as an adult.
Doug Fasching specializes in teaching fearful adults and teens.
Mike Smigiel worked as a lifeguard on Lake Michigan when he was a young adult and after moving to Arlington Heights he too enjoyed swimming laps at his neighborhood pool. Now retired after a career in medical sales, he has time to pursue activities he enjoys, and that includes helping out at the pool.
“These adults have built such a great connection with our community through working, playing pickleball, participating in aqua fitness classes and swimming laps alongside our members,” Gussey adds. “They have been huge assets to our team and we can’t thank them enough.”
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