A public pool in Alpharetta is closing for the season due to a shortage of certified lifeguards, the city says.
Alpharetta had planed to keep the Wills Park Pool open for three additional weekends past Labor Day. But the city employs mostly high school and college students as certified lifeguards. When school started back up, the city lost most of its lifeguard force, leaving Alpharetta with just three who were certified.
The pool closing is effective immediately. Alpharetta announced the news in a posting on its website Thursday.
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Morgan Rodgers, the city’s director of recreation, parks and cultural services, said that there must be a minimum of eight lifeguards on duty when the Wills Park pool is open.
“This was not a decision we came to easily or quickly,” Rodgers said in a statement. “Before coming to this decision, we contacted surrounding cities and counties, private swim organizations, and even reached out to our Department of Public Safety seeking certified lifeguards, all to no avail."
Rodgers added that the city does have plans to properly staff a few small events that were planned before the season started. It will still host the “Drool in the Pool” on Sept. 29 at 3 p.m.
The city said it thought it had enough lifeguards in place to continue through September, but many of the lifeguard’s availability changed as they made commitments to sports teams, clubs and academics.
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