EAST LANSING, Mich. — It's time to make a splash in East Lansing, as the Aquatic Center is opening for the season Saturday, June 3 at 11 a.m.
“We did have a couple years that we were closed due to the pandemic," said City of East Lansing Operations Manager Jim Jennings. "Last year we had a late opening in the middle of July. So this is our first full year of operation since 2019.”
Jennings said preparations for opening day start before the weather gets warm.
“We actually start with job postings in January," Jenings said. "We'll start interviewing as early as February, interviews will take, actually a couple of months and then we start all of our training's at the beginning of May.”
When they hire staff, they help them get properly trained.
“You don't have to be a certified lifeguard or have any other certifications in order to apply or work here because we do all those training's," Jennings said. "So we'll take care of all that with all the staff that we hire.”
The past couple of years, life guards have been in short supply. Jennings said this year is no different, but they have enough staff to fully operate safely.
“Lifeguard shortages, overall staff shortages are a big thing," Jennings said. "I will say that we are pretty fortunate that we have hired enough staff to operate for the summer, so we're really excited about that. But, you know, lifeguarding isn't the big draw, I guess, as it used to be.”
While they are still hiring, being pre-certified would come in handy, but isn't required.
“If someone does currently have a lifeguard certification, that is a definite bonus," Jennings said. "If they don't, we'll consider the applications and it will take us about a month to get them hired though, before they could start.”
As for visitors, Jennings said they have one ask for the summer. Stay safe.
“While we are a lifeguard facility, it is important that parents with young children are actively watching their children," Jennings said. "The lifeguards are here to respond in case there's an emergency, but we do need the parents to be actively watching their children to make sure that we can try to prevent things from happening.”
And rule number two; have some fun.
“There really is something for everyone. From the really active swimmers, to those that, you know, just kind of want to wade around in shallow water,” Jennings said.
The East Lansing Family Aquatic Center has a variety of passes for the summer:
- Daily Admission Rate: $11 per person
- Ten Visit Punch Pass: $90 for ten visits
- Season Pass: $95 for unlimited visits
The Center will be open 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. every day, weather permitting, until September 4.
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