Lifeguard (Lifeguard I)

Be part of our amazing aquatic family, make lifelong friends, and provide a safe, fun experience for our swimmers. Join the team at one or more of our community swimming pools. We have year-round opportunities at our 3 indoor pools located in Eastside, Peoples and Norpoint Community Centers.

Work where you play!
Join our team at Metro Parks Tacoma to put your skills to use serving your community and making Tacoma a vibrant, healthy, and welcoming place to live.
 
Who We Are
Metro Parks Tacoma (MPT) is a CAPRA-accredited and AZA-accredited, independent park district that leads efforts to build a healthy, sustainable community. Located in Tacoma, Washington, Metro Parks’ mission is to create healthy opportunities to play, learn, and grow. The independent park district spans the city providing a wide range of life-enriching destinations and services, including 70 parks, 80 miles of trails, 1,000 acres of urban forest, 66 playgrounds, four community centers, Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium, Northwest Trek Wildlife Park, Point Defiance Park, and much more. Our work is guided by eight core values that are the foundation of our actions and goals: innovation, excellence, equity, inclusiveness, sustainability, accountability, safety, and fun.
 
Why You’ll Love it Here
Come work with us and work where you play! You will contribute to the overall vitality and well-being of your community when you work for Metro Parks Tacoma, and you’ll do so as part of a supportive team of committed, passionate, and mission-driven professionals. The people of Metro Parks are the key to its success, and you just might be the next great addition to our team.  On top of that, you’ll wake each day knowing that you’re helping make Tacoma a great place to call home.
 
Position Information

Maintain safe swimming conditions in the pool, on the deck, and surrounding pool areas. Respond to emergencies and provide emergency care as needed. Prevent accidents by maintaining constant observation of the pool area, enforcing health and safety rules, and maintaining emergency readiness. Provide documentation through completing required reports. Positively communicate information on MPT programs.

In the performance of their respective tasks and duties all employees are expected to:

• Perform quality work within deadlines with or without direct supervision.
• Interact professionally with other employees, customers and suppliers.
• Work effectively as a team contributor on all assignments.
• Work independently while understanding the necessity for communicating and coordinating work efforts with other employees and organizations.
• Observe applicable safety requirements, use safety equipment provided, implement appropriate safety practices at all times and report immediately any unsafe working conditions or hazards.

• Prevent accidents and injury by understanding, explaining, and enforcing program safety rules, policies, procedures, and facility expectations.
• Provide a positive attitude toward program participants and staff; encourage and serve as a positive role model for program participants.
• Maintain certification-level of physical and mental readiness.
• Demonstrate consistent scanning and maintain surveillance.
• Attend monthly in-service training and staff meetings. 
• Develop rapport and maintain effective relationships with the members, participants, and other staff.  
• Administer rescue and emergency care as needed.
• Report all participant behavioral problems and incidents to appropriate staff and supervisor.
• Complete incident and accident reports in a clear, concise, and legible manner as required.
• Ensure proper use, care, and storage of program equipment.
• Other duties as required.

• At least 16 years of age.
• Current state approved Lifeguard certification.
• Current Basic Life Support or Professional Rescuer CPR and First Aid certifications.
• Volunteer experience related to aquatics preferred.

Note: This position is considered safety sensitive and is subject to random drug and alcohol testing

HOURS:
Up to 29 hours per week.

COMPETENCY REQUIREMENTS:

• Demonstrate successful swimming, rescue, and emergency care skills.
• Demonstrate knowledge of aquatic programs, activities, and services.
• Demonstrate knowledge of safety guidelines and practices.
• Ability to handle conflict and solve problems using tact, patience, and courtesy.
• Ability to make quick decisions and navigate emergency situations.
• Work with diverse groups of people in a tactful, effective, and respectful manner.
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with staff, the community and program participants.
• Follow instructions, both written and verbal.
• Must be observant, safety conscious and able to react calmly and quickly in an emergency.
• Ability to recognize early warning signs of distress, make decisions and act quickly.
• Ability to safely perform job tasks in a variety of aquatic settings.

 
WORK ENVIRONMENT/PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

• Work is performed indoors and outdoors.
• Frequent communication with district employees and customers.
• Noise level is moderately loud.
• Work various schedules including mornings, afternoons, evenings, and weekends.
• Perform duties involving physical labor, such as bending, kneeling, standing, reaching, climbing, stooping, squatting, pushing, twisting, and swimming.
• Lift or move items weighing up to 100 pounds on occasion. 
• Ability to reach the pools deepest depth of up to 12 feet varying on site location. 
• Maintain 20/40 vision; use of corrective lenses is acceptable.
• Ability, with assistance, to lift a person weighing up to 300 pounds while the person is secured to a backboard up onto the deck while standing in water or treading water.
• Ability to stand on cement floor for 90-minute increments during scheduled work shift.
• Ability to sit in a lifeguard elevated tower for up to 2 hours at a time. 
• All staff are required to pass monthly critical skills assessment, which consists of swimming 250 yards without stopping, retrieving an object from a depth of 12 feet, and treading water for 2 minutes using legs only. 

Salary : $18 - $19