Laconia fitness club offers course to help fill lifeguarding jobs

LACONIA — What would summer in the Lakes Region be without visiting a local beach? But for local recreation departments, it’s been harder and harder to find lifeguard to make sure that everyone’s dip in the lake is safe.

“We need lifeguards,” said Amy Lovisek, assistant director of Laconia Parks and Recreation. The city needs 13 lifeguards each summer, and it’s been increasingly challenging to fill those seasonal positions.

And Laconia isn’t alone; every community in the region is competing for the dwindling supply of licensed lifeguards.

“It’s not just here, Lovisek said. "We are not unique. It is a nationwide shortage.” 

It didn’t help Laconia's circumstances that the nearest place to take a lifeguarding course was in Concord. That’s why she approached Frances Plunkett, who manages The Wellness Complex on North Main Street. Plunkett said she quickly agreed to hold three training courses, with multi-day sessions that begin April 22, May 4 and May 25.

“We have a pool, people in the area have been begging for lessons and for lifeguard training,” Plunkett said. “It’s important.”

The lifeguarding courses offered by The Wellness Complex  will be taught by swim instructor Kendra Stephens. She said classes will have a minimum registration of four and a maximum of 10. Classes cost $350, and she said interested students should contact her at swim@thewellnesscomplex.com or 603-527-8370 to learn about prerequisite capabilities.

Working as a lifeguard is difficult work, Stephens said.

“Everyone thinks it’s a lot of fun in the sun, but it’s actually a lot of work. Very rarely do you have to go in and do a full rescue, but it is a lot of work,” Stephens said. Most of the work is mental, she said, maintaining a head count for everyone in the water and looking out for signs of trouble. Yet, she said, the job can be a fulfilling way to earn a paycheck.

“You get to make sure that everyone is enjoying themselves, and you are there to help them when they need help, which is a reward in itself,” Stephens said.

Lovisek said the work may be comparable to other summer jobs that might carry less responsibility, but her department will reimburse the cost of the course for its hirees. And, there are other perks.

“You get to be outside all day," she said, "and the scenery couldn’t be better.”