Parks and Recreation is Making Unprecedented Training Investments in Youth to Become Pool Lifeguards

LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation is doubling down on its commitment to LA County youth by expanding its successful Lifeguard Ready Training (LRT) program. LRT prepares youth and young adults ages 16 to 24 with the skills necessary to become a Los Angeles County Swimming Pool Lifeguard. A total of nine pools countywide will turn into Lifeguard Ready Training facilities during the offseason to prepare BIPOC youth to join the aquatics team.

All swimmer ability levels are invited to sign-up today for as many LRT sessions needed to meet the qualifications to become a pool lifeguard.

The LRT program will provide participants with all the equipment necessary to complete the program including swimsuits, towels, duffel bags, and free transportation to their chosen training facility and more. Equipment and supply investments will ensure LRT participants have the needed resources to maximize their training outcomes. Participants are expected to attend all 12 training sessions. Trainees will be paired up with a group mentor who will also provide individual evaluation and support. Participants can also access lap swim hours outside the training schedule.

“The Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation is proud to relaunch the expanded Lifeguard Ready Training Program with deeper investments in our youth of color countywide,” said Los Angeles County Parks and Recreation Director Norma Edith García-González. “We’re committed to addressing the underrepresentation of diversity in lifeguard careers. We created LRT to meet all youth where they are at in their swimming ability by focusing on developing skills vs focusing on ability. Offering LRT training in high and very high need communities will provide youth access to coaches, training, and practice time needed to gain water rescue skills.”

LRT will help the County meet two critical goals that includes diversifying its workforce and overcoming the national lifeguard shortage. Other steps to improve recruitment include lowering the age to become a pool lifeguard from 17 to 16 years. This change will take place in time for the County’s 2023 summer aquatics season.

SESSION DATES AND LOCATIONS

Session 1: 10/3 – 11/10
George Lane – Th/Fri 4-6pm
El Cariso – Mon/Wed 4-6pm
Loma Alta – Tue/Thu 4-6pm
Obregon – Mon/Wed 5-7pm
Bethune – Tue/Thurs 5-7pm
Ted Watkins – Mon/Wed 5-7pm
Alondra – Mon/Wed 4-6pm
Don Knabe – Tue/Thur 4-6pm

Session 2: 1/17 – 2/24
George Lane – Th/Fri 4-6pm
El Cariso – Mon/Wed 4-6pm
Loma Alta – Tue/Thu 4-6pm
Obregon – Mon/Wed 4-6pm
Whittier – Mon/Wed 5-7pm
Bethune – Tue/Thurs 4-6pm
Ted Watkins – Mon/Wed 4-6pm
Alondra – Mon/Wed 4-6pm
Victoria – Tue/Thur 4-6pm

Session 3: 3/6 – 4/14
George Lane – Th/Fri 4-6pm
El Cariso – Mon/Wed 4-6pm
Loma Alta – Tue/Thu 4-6pm
Obregon – Mon/Wed 4-6pm
Whittier – Mon/Wed 5-7pm
Bethune – Tue/Thurs 4-6pm
Ted Watkins – Mon/Wed 4-6pm
Alondra – Mon/Wed 4-6pm
Victoria – Tue/Thur 4-6pm

Session 4: 4/24 – 6/2
George Lane – Th/Fri 4-6pm
El Cariso – Mon/Wed 4-6pm
Loma Alta – Tue/Thu 4-6pm
Obregon – Mon/Wed 4-6pm
Whittier – Mon/Wed 5-7pm
Bethune – Tue/Thurs 4-6pm
Ted Watkins – Mon/Wed 4-6pm
Alondra – Mon/Wed 4-6pm
Victoria Tue/Thur 4-6p

POOL LOCATIONS

Eugene Obregon Pool – 4021 1st St Los Angeles, CA 90063

Mary M Bethune – 1244 E. 61st St Los Angeles, CA 90001

El Cariso Pool – 13100 Hubbard St Sylmar, CA 91342

Don Knabe Pool – 19700 South Bloomfield Ave Cerritos CA 90701

Greater Whittier Regional Aquatic Center – COMING SOON!

George Lane Pool – 5520 W Ave L8 Quartz Hill, CA 93536

Loma Alta Pool – 3330 N Lincoln Ave Altadena, CA 91001

Ted Watkins Pool – 1335 E 103rd St Los Angeles, CA 90002

Alondra Park Pool – 3353 Redondo Beach Blvd Lawndale, CA 90260

Victoria Pool – 419 MLK Jr. St Carson, CA 90746

For more information and to register for LRT, or for more information, visit https://parks.lacounty.gov/lifeguard-ready-training

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About LA County Parks and Recreation  The Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation manages 183 parks and operates a network of 70,079 acres of parkland, 475 sports amenities such as futsal, basketball, tennis, lawn bowling and multipurpose fields, 42 swimming pools, 15 wildlife sanctuaries, 10 nature centers that serve as a refuge for over 200 animals, 14 lakes – 3 of which are boating and swimming lakes, 5 equestrians centers, more than 210 miles of multi-use trails for hiking, biking, and horseback riding, and the largest municipal golf system in the nation, consisting of 20 golf courses. The department also maintains four botanical centers: The Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden, the South Coast Botanic Garden, Descanso Gardens, and Virginia Robinson Gardens. The department also owns and operates the iconic Hollywood Bowl and John Anson Ford Amphitheatre, which are jointly managed with the Los Angeles Philharmonic Association, providing County residents with valuable entertainment and cultural resources.