Problems in Bonn's swimming pools By the time lifeguards are found, the swimming season will be over

Bonn · There is still a lack of lifeguards in Bonn's outdoor swimming pools. According to the DLRG, there is no quick solution to the problem, because the Coronavirus pandemic has caused training numbers to plummet. The city now wants to counteract this with more attractive offers.

  A swimmer jumps into the Hardtbergbad.

A swimmer jumps into the Hardtbergbad.

Foto: Benjamin Westhoff

Bonn is running out of lifeguards. Because of the shortage, the city has cancelled early-morning swimming at two pools. The Coronavirus pandemic has aggravated a problem that has been an issue for years. The reasons for the lack of lifeguards are complex and cannot be resolved in the short term, explains Marco Lambertz of the Bonn branch of the German Lifesaving Society (DLRG): "It's not a quick fix. We first have to find the people to do it. Then the swimming season is already over."

It takes 16 lessons of 45 minutes each before you can call yourself a lifeguard. "If the course takes place once a week with a double lesson, we're at eight weeks," says Lambertz, who is a lifeguard himself. Not a long time when you look at what's on the curriculum. It's not just common swimming styles like breaststroke and crawl, you also have to be able to swim backstroke safely when rescuing. Just as important, however, is deep diving and releasing from a panic grip. Because if you are drowning, you are fighting for your life and grabbing at anything that promises help.

These techniques can become important not only when someone's swimming in a lake. "People come to us with very different motivations," says Lambertz. For applying to the police, to supervise excursions with young people, DLRG service on the coast or for a relaxed holiday with the children. "After the exam, you are also authorised to take over supervision at the poolside," explains Lambertz.

Numerous positions are unfilled

That is precisely what is lacking in Bonn at the moment. Numerous temporary positions for lifeguards are unfilled, forcing the city to take drastic measures during the outdoor pool season. Hardtbergbad and Ennertbad are now only open from 10 am to 7 pm. Only the Römerbad and the Rüngsdorf open-air pool will continue to be open from 6.30 a.m. during the week. "Only with these restrictions can the City of Bonn, as the operator of the open-air pools, ensure regular operation," the city informs.

Until the very end, the city administration had hoped that the number and the operational capacity of the temporary staff capable of emergency rescue would still grow to a level sufficient for a regular outdoor pool season in the four open-air pools. But this was not the case - despite several appeals, including from the ranks of the Bonn DLRG.

There are several reasons for this. The most significant, however, is probably the pandemic. "We had hardly any courses for two years, in the summer months they were only filled with six participants instead of twelve," says Marco Lambertz. Normally, 400 to 500 lifeguards take the bronze and silver badges every year at the Bonn DLRG, whose area includes the Rhine-Sieg district on the left bank of the Rhine as well as the federal city. In 2020, there were only 162. "It tends to be mostly younger people up to their late 20s who do this training, bronze can be done at the age of twelve." Many of them had learned to swim with the DLRG and continued. Today, you have to invest 150 euros for the course, 75 euros if you are a member.

DLRG courses are fully booked

It is not because the courses are unattractive, as they are always booked up quickly. "We would offer more, but we can't," says Lambertz. For one thing, the volunteer instructors have to have the time. For another, the DLRG needs swimming periods. Although they are in a good position compared to other regions with a total of eight pools in the district, they are not enough. "In outdoor pools, which many people visit in the summer, we cannot train properly. We are mainly affected by the closed indoor pools." The closure of the Beueler Bütt in particular has affected swimming times, he said.

The demise of swimming pools is a problem all over Germany. According to the DLRG, up to 400 swimming pools have been closed in recent years because cities and municipalities have had to save money. Hundreds more are expected to follow. But anyone who believes that this shortage will ease the lifeguard shortage is wrong. On the contrary, a vicious circle is forming, as Lambertz explains.

If there are fewer pool times for rescuer training, there will also be fewer rescuers. Therefore, even more pools will remain closed and fewer and fewer people will come into contact with water in their free time. The DLRG regularly sounds the alarm: more than half of ten-year-old children are not safe swimmers, and the figure for adults is only slightly lower. Only one in two can just about keep their head above water. "There are also too few swimming lessons," says Lambertz. When the pools close, the schools have longer journeys, which is a problem especially in rural areas. "With a double lesson in swimming and a 30-minute drive, then also a class with 30 children in one lane, you jump into the water briefly and stand back on the edge."

City wants to counteract with better offer

Most pool attendants earn extra money after school or during their studies. The 38-year-old Lambertz did the same. The problem is that the job is usually only available in the summer. That's why the city of Bonn is now considering not only hiring temporary staff, but also employing more lifeguards on a permanent basis throughout the year. This way, only the peak periods would have to be covered by temporary staff.

The rescuers could also be lured financially. From the city's point of view, they are too poorly paid in pay group 3 at just over 14 euros an hour. Changing the collective bargaining law, however, is not easy - and will certainly not happen this summer.

(Original text: Nicolas Ottersbach; Translation: Jean Lennox)
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