Introduction
What can the city of Hartford do to recruit and retain more lifeguards?
View the Policy Memo we prepared here
Project Overview
The Recreation Access project team, in collaboration with Hartford Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission, aimed to address the issue of a severe shortage of lifeguards in the city of Hartford, resulting in a reduction of access to public pools for residents. This issue impacts the ability of residents to learn how to swim (a health concern, since drowning is one of the top causes of death in children ages birth to five); it impacts resident access to temperature relief in the summers, as climate change makes urban areas hotter each year; and it impacts the ability of families to plan for childcare-related activities, disproportionately affecting Hartford’s Black and brown populations
Our team took several steps to address the problem of lifeguard shortage in Hartford. See our process below
Background Information on Community Partner
Our community partner, Hartford Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission (PRAC), is represented by Donna Swarr and Brian Gallagher. PRAC studies and recommends policies and procedures for public use of parks, parks management, and recreational programs.
Donna Swarr has been a resident of the southend of Hartford since 2005. She has been a City of Hartford Park and Recreation Advisory Commissioner and on the board of the Friends of Colt Park/Colt Park Foundation since 2011. She facilitated the community and stakeholder input for the Colt Park Master Plan in 2014 which propelled the ability for the city to seek and successfully obtain numerous federal and state grants as well as gifts from private foundations which have transformed Colt Park.
Brian Gallagher has been a member of Hartford PRAC Commission for 10 years. He is a PE Teacher in Hartford, and a former lifeguard and swim instructor. Brian is a founder and currently an executive director of Active City in Hartford, which is a non-profit organization formed to bring together different sports and recreation organizations to better organize and support youth recreation throughout the the city of Hartford