The City of Jacksonville is currently hiring lifeguards for the upcoming season at the newly renovated Nichols Park Pool. City officials are confident the newly renovated pool will open on time in June.
Parks Director Adam Fletcher says that the city has implemented a new program to help individuals wanting to become a lifeguard but may have a financial hurdle to cross: “If anybody is interested in a lifeguard certification class, be on the look out. We will have some information from Illinois College and the Bob Freesen YMCA about a future lifeguard certification class. Something new that we have instituted this year is that the city is going to pick up the bill for the lifeguard certification class. It’s sometimes prohibitively expensive, so if someone wants to go and take the lifeguard class and they want to work for the City of Jacksonville – since it’s a 2-year certification, the City of Jacksonville will reimburse someone for the certification course as long as you work at the Nichols Park Pool.”
Fletcher says the reason for the program is to attract people who may not have previously been a lifeguard to join up.
Fletcher says he didn’t want financial concerns to stand in the way of someone having a fun summer job with the Nichols Park Pool.