BUFFALO, N.Y. — The outdoor swimming pools in the City of Buffalo will remain closed this summer.
Buffalo officials made the announcement Tuesday that the city's outdoor pools will not open this year due to a shortage of certified lifeguards. According to Andrew Rabb, deputy commissioner of Parks & Recreation, despite their efforts to attract, train and hire lifeguards through various methods, the city was only able to hire 22 additional lifeguards for the season.
"The decision to not open our outdoor pools this summer came down to the safety and welfare of our residents," said Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown.
"We realize this decision will disappoint the hundreds of youngsters and adults who enjoy spending summer hours at our outdoor swimming pools, but the bottom-line is we don’t have the number of lifeguards required to keep our residents safe."
To help fix the lifeguard shortage, Mayor Brown is calling on the Buffalo Common Council to raise the pay for lifeguards from $16 an hour to $20 an hour to help attract more lifeguards. In addition, Buffalo will be offering free lifeguard training this summer to encourage more people to sign up.
While Buffalo's outdoor pools remain closed, Brown notes that two indoor pools will be open from July 1 to Sept. 5. The Cazenovia Pool, located at 626 Abbott Rd., and the Lovejoy Pool, located at 1171 E. Lovejoy St., will both be open six days a week.
Brown also announced that the city is waiving the fees for both pools and is extending their hours to allow residents to "maximize access to swimming opportunities."
You can view the full hours for each pool below:
Cazenovia Pool
- Monday – 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.
- Tuesday – CLOSED
- Wednesday – 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- Thursday – 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.
- Friday – 8 a.m. to 7p.m.
- Saturday - 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.
- Sunday – 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Lovejoy Pool
- Monday – CLOSED
- Tuesday – 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.
- Wednesday – 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.
- Thursday – 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- Friday – 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.
- Saturday – 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
According to the city, other communities in Western New York are also being impacted by the lifeguard shortage. City officials say pools will also be closed this summer in West Seneca.
At this time, 10 of Buffalo's 11 splash pads are currently open for extended hours through Labor Day. For more information about Buffalo's splash pads, click here.