Newsom signs bill to rescue pools closed by lifeguard shortage

Senior lifeguard Ravelle Morales, 28, keeps an eye on young swimmers at Monroe Street Pool in Carlsbad in June. Gavin Newsom signed a bill Tuesday that will make it easier for local governments to fill lifeguard positions following a summer in which labor shortages closed much-needed public pools. Assembly Bill 1672 by Assemblymember Tasha Boerner Horvath will ease certification requirements and allow more rigorously trained ocean lifeguards to work at city pools when there are staffing shortages. I mean, you’re seeing this across the board.” Lifeguard shortages have been felt across the United States, with one estimate finding one-third of the public pools across the country faced staffing shortages that threatened to close down or reduce operations this summer. “Cities are forced to implement seasonal pool closures, reduce weekly hours of operation, and find creative ways to provide lifeguarding services to protect the public.” Newsom, whose signature comes days after the state faced an unprecedented heat wave, signed the bill without comment.