BALTIMORE — A nationwide lifeguard scarcity is affecting a couple of third of the nation’s public swimming pools, together with some proper right here in Baltimore.

The metropolis’s Department of Recreation and Parks has been attempting to work across the challenge this summer time.

But officers are warning of the risks that include it.

“It affects our capacities,” Deputy Director of Recreation Karen Jordan mentioned.

While some swimming pools and splash pads have closed utterly, others have been compelled to function at restricted hours.

“We allow a number of swimmers according to our number of lifeguards that we have,” Jordan mentioned.

She mentioned the rationale for that is to make sure the security of all guests to the swimming pools.

“I understand they want to swim but . . . it’s very unsafe to swim without lifeguards on duty,” Jordan mentioned.

The restricted hours pose one other challenge too.

“Unfortunately, we have experienced break-ins through our aquatic facilities after hours,” Jordan mentioned.

Last month, Baltimore police used its helicopter, generally often called Foxtrot, to order after-hours swimmers to get out of the Patterson Park Swimming Pool.

Just a few weeks later, a 15-year-old boy was hospitalized after almost drowning on the Roosevelt Park Pool round 9:30 p.m.

“The fencing there is to keep everyone safe . . . to protect people,” Jordan mentioned. “Should someone have an emergency without lifeguards being present, this is a life or death situation and we do not want people to be injured or drastically pass at our pools.”

The division is doing no matter it may possibly to fill its lifeguard vacancies, Jordan mentioned. It might be recruiting all year long as a result of it would not need to face the identical challenge subsequent 12 months.

“We have increased the salaries for lifeguards and we’ve also added an incentive for lifeguards for bonus pay,” she mentioned.