Recreation Seasonal - Lifeguard

(Seasonal, Non-Exempt)
MUST BE 15 YEARS OR OLDER TO BE ELIGIBLE
Certifications and Uniforms Provided
Starting Compensation Rate: $14.00/hr. Closing Date: 07/31/2024
How to apply: Using the "apply" button on this page, please complete the required online application. For general questions about the position, contact Parks and Recreation at 785-587-2757.
The City of Manhattan values diversity and draws strength from the diversity of the team. The City is committed to providing opportunities for all employees to succeed by creating a diverse and inclusive work environment. The City is always seeking qualified Minority, Veteran, Women and Disabled applicants to fill available employment vacancies. The City of Manhattan is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
Manhattan Parks and Recreation provides Lifeguarding certifications for all interested applicants. Please submit an application, and you will be contacted for class scheduling. Applicants who do not pass the lifeguarding course may be eligible for swim instructor or cashier positions, depending on qualifications and availability.
Lifeguard staff will serve to facilitate an excellent aquatic experience for customers at one of the three Manhattan waterparks by enforcing rules, enacting Emergency Action Plans (EAP), and taking care of injured, ill, or distressed customers by using trained skills. Staff will be paid competitively and may be eligible for promotion/transfer depending on performance.
Essential Functions

• Provide excellent customer service and possess a service philosophy that reflects the mission of the Parks and Recreation Department.
• Patrol or monitor swimming areas from designated positions on foot or while sitting on approved lifeguard stands to detect hazards, disturbances, or safety infractions.
• Rescue distressed swimmers using rescue techniques and equipment.
• Identify, examine, and care for injured or ill persons by administering first aid or cardiopulmonary resuscitation, when necessary, by using training, medical supplies, and other equipment.
• Notify, instruct, and correct customer behavior that is inconsistent with safety procedures in a fair, timely, and polite manner.
• Carry out all procedures exactly as described by the Emergency Action Plan (EAP) in times of emergency or crisis. Manhattan Parks and Recreation will provide EAP training.
• Complete forms and reports accurately and in detail to document various aquatic facility activities and incidents.
• Complete all assigned facility maintenance and cleaning duties as directed by supervisors.
• Able to establish and maintain cooperative professional working relationships with others, individually and in a team environment.
• Other duties as assigned.

Work will be performed at one of three outdoor aquatic facilities: City Park Waterpark, CiCo Waterpark, or Northview Waterpark; work will be performed outside in extreme heat, which could expose the staff to various outside atmospheric conditions; noise and activity levels will be varied. To perform the essential functions of this position, staff will be required to stand, walk, sit, use hands, handle, feel, speak, hear, climb stairs, push, pull, or lift up to 50 pounds.
Requirements
Required Knowledge & Skills

• First aid, water rescue, and CPR methods as taught in the American Red Cross Lifeguard certification class; communicate orally and in writing with customers, other lifeguards, and supervisors; work in a team composed of other Lifeguards, Head Lifeguards, Assistant Managers, and Managers; learn, carry out, and enforce Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) and Emergency Action Plans (EAP); make decisions quickly to respond to potential hazards or emergency situations; Currently Certified Lifeguard; Currently Certified in First Aid, CPR, and AED.

Lifeguard applicants are required to complete the following prerequisites before taking the lifeguard certification course:
• Prerequisite 1: Complete a swim-tread-swim sequence without stopping to rest:
o Jump into the water and totally submerge, resurface, then swim 150 yards using the front crawl, breaststroke, or a combination of both. (Swimming on the back or side is not permitted. Swim goggles are allowed.)
o Maintain position at the surface of the water for 2 minutes by treading water using only the legs.
o Swim 50 yards using the front crawl, breaststroke, or a combination of both.
• Prerequisite 2: Complete a timed event within 1 minute, 40 seconds:
o Starting in the water, swim 20 yards. (The face may be in or out of the water. Swim goggles are not allowed.)
o Surface dive (feet-first or head-first) to a depth of 7-10 feet to retrieve a 10-pound object.
o Return to the surface and swim 20 yards on the back to return to the starting point, holding the object at the surface with both hands and keeping the face out at or near the surface.
o Exit the water without using a ladder or steps.
Preferred Knowledge & Skills

• Lifeguard applicants will have a background as a swim lesson instructor or swim team coach; teach swim lessons.

Other Information

• Applicants must pass a background check.
• Staff may be asked to work weekends and holidays.
• This is not a KPERS covered position.
• Waterparks are open on Memorial Day weekend until no later than Labor Day.
• Staff will be required to attend in-service training.