ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – The whistle of a lifeguard is a sound no parent wants to hear when their children are having fun in a city pool, but rest assured a lifeguard is coming to save the day.

“We have lifeguards getting in the water almost every shift. I like to say that it’s fun about 85% of the time, that that other 15% is the most serious thing that you have to do,” said Meagan Swari, the city’s Parks & Recreation Department Aquatics Division trainer. 

Swari says the city is still looking for another 75 lifeguards to make sure this summer pool season doesn’t drown on day one.

“Unfortunately, we’d have to cancel some of our programming, so that will mean not as many things offered to our community,” said Swari. 

Swari says applicants have to be 15-years-old, fill out an online application, and then prove they’re physically ready for the job. 

“The swimming portion of the prerequisite test is 150 yards,” Swari said. 

That means three full laps in an Olympic-sized pool, front and back, without stopping for a break. That’s just the warm-up.

“And then a two-minute tread, so treading water with your head above the water and not using your arms,” said Swari. 

Before you can catch your breath, it’s back to the pool for another lap, and that’s just the first part of the test.

“The second portion of the test is to swim 20 yards and retrieve a 10 pound object off the bottom of a seven to 10 foot depth. Bring it up to the surface and swim with it on your chest at the surface of the water for another 20 yards,” said Swari.

It’s a lot of work, but it’s necessary work to make sure you’re ready for saving lives.

“Anyone who is looking for a career in the medical field, whether it be doctors, nurses, EMTs, firefighters, this is a great place to start, because you can build that medical knowledge with your first aid, CPR and lifeguard certifications,” said Swari. 

The city’s next lifeguard training course is in early May, with the city pools opening a few weeks later for Memorial Day.