As the weather warms and Colorado Springs residents flock to outdoor pools this weekend, the YMCA of the Pikes Peak Region is equipped with enough lifeguards for full operations this summer — the first time in over three years.

Pandemic-related lifeguard shortages continue to make headlines nationally, but YMCA Chief Operating Officer Theresa Johnson said the Colorado Springs area is in a good place: The YMCA is on track to have full staff for indoor and outdoor, public and HOA pools.

The nonprofit has spent over six months recruiting lifeguards in what Johnson called an “intentional” process involving two career fairs, bringing lifeguard staffing to 93%; approximately 14 more are needed to meet a goal of 200 lifeguards, and Johnson said the YMCA just launched a social media campaign to bridge that gap.

Last July, the YMCA had 68% lifeguard positions filled and the summer before, they were at just 50%, according to previous reporting from The Gazette.

“We devote a lot of time to this because it’s for the safety of our community members, which is so important, especially when it comes to bodies of water,” Johnson said.

Operations at outdoor pools are comparable to past summers, despite the lifeguard shortage. To combat position vacancies, the YMCA prioritized outdoor public pools, in turn limiting hours at indoor pools. While a few pools are still limited, the final leg of recruitment and training is expected to bring every pool back to full scale operations, according to Johnson.

New recruits are going through intensive training to become lifeguard certified, which includes courses from the American Safety and Health Institute.

Last year, training was boosted by a $12,500 grant from Colorado’s Pools Special Initiative, which largely went toward training initiatives, according to Johnson. The city of Colorado Springs and the YMCA jointly applied for $18,750 from the grant this year, but are waiting on approval.

Monument Valley and Wilson Ranch pools (which are owned by the city and operated by the YMCA) are open to the public beginning Saturday. Monument Valley is open 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday to Saturday and noon-6 p.m. Sunday; Wilson Ranch is open 10 a.m.-6 p.m. daily. The pools do not require a YMCA membership, but visitors must have either a membership or day passes to visit.

The city’s Portal Pool, near Austin Bluffs and North Union Boulevard, will remain closed, alongside the Memorial Park Family Center YMCA, for the fourth year as the city evaluates repair needs due to structural issues.

Public, HOA and indoor YMCA pools join splash pads, fountains and the local Prospect and Quail lakes as places to cool off over Memorial Day weekend.

“It’s a wonderful opportunity for our community to come out and enjoy an outdoor swimming pool in this beautiful city we live in. It’s a way for people to connect and get great exercise and socialize in a healthy and safe environment the Y provides,” Johnson said.