Despite Efforts To Open Them, Pools In Concord Will Remain Closed

CONCORD, NH — Sorry kiddos and parents, too, no pools will be opened in Concord this summer.

The Concord Parks & Recreation Department announced Friday that despite an extensive effort to try and find enough lifeguards and certified staff to open some of the city's pools for a month or so, they were unsuccessful.

Last month, the Concord City Council requested the department to attempt to try and open up pools in an effort to deter usage of watering holes like the quarries or the Merrimack and Contoocook rivers which don't have lifeguards or safety measures. There have been at least two drownings in the Merrimack this season — and a number of rescues, due to near misses, too.

City officials advertised for lifeguards extensively — posting job openings online and social media, including paid Facebook and Indeed.com ads. They also contacted last year's employees and reached out to Swim NH, an organization that handles lifeguard certification classes.

"Last week, we scheduled interviews for new applicants and asked staff to come in to fill out hiring paperwork," said Stefanie Breton, the public information officer for the city. "Unfortunately, despite all these efforts, we were unable to recruit enough certified staff to open any pools this summer. The most significant challenge with recruiting certified lifeguards has been the lack of certification classes due to COVID-19."

The city has purchased two misting stations that will be strategically place around Concord to help residents cool off during the remaining weeks of sometimes steamy temperatures. The stations will be staffed by recreation department employees and hours of operations will be posted on the department's website and Facebook later on this month.

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