CORTLANDT, N.Y. - Cortlandt's 640,000 gallon pool opens Saturday afternoon and with an in-the-water capacity of 1,400 and a depth of more than 12 feet, training was top priority for the large staff this week.
"We sort of give them a crash course on the rules and our emergency action plan," said Town of Cortlandt Recreation Supervisor Lesley Bornstein.
Most of the members of the lifeguard staff return year after year, but still attend a refresher course. New members of the lifeguard staff usually begin as "swim aides," a position dedicated to watching the hundreds of Cortlandt kids attending day camp at the Charles Cook Memorial Pool.
All told, the pool staff consists of 25 lifeguards for the public, 27 swim aides for children in day camps, five staff members for Croton day camps, five head lifeguards, three managers and the pool's supervisor, Bornstein.
The lifeguards undergo mandatory drills every two weeks and can't work if they don't attend the drill. Furthermore, all of the pool staff members are randomly drug tested throughout the summer, said Bornstein.
"They literally grow up here," said Bornstein about the guards. Most attend town day camps before becoming swim aides.
The pool has more than a half-dozen payment options, which can be compared on the Town of Cortlandt Recreation Department website in the Summer 2012 brochure. Until the weekend of June 16, the pool will only be open during the weekends and closes Labor Day weekend.
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