RAPID CITY, S.D. — If you’re looking to cool off this summer, you’ll have your shot.
For the first time in 21 months, city outdoor pools in Rapid City are opening next week, starting Tuesday, June 1.
It all starts with the Roosevelt Swim Center opening.
The following pools will be open from 12 to 6 p.m. daily:
- Roosevelt Swim Center’s 50-meter pool: Tuesday, June 1
- Parkview Pool: Friday, June 4
- Horace Mann Pool: Friday, June 4
- Sioux Park’s Jimmy Hilton Pool: Saturday, June 5
Pools officials say that the re-openings have come with some maintenance issues, but none that should cause any delays.
“They’re all small but I mean the pools haven’t been open since summer of 2019, so there are a few hiccups here and there but like I said our maintenance staff is very awesome and on top of it and getting it fixed and making sure that we can have an awesome summer,” said Emily Carstensen, a Recreation Specialist with the Aquatics Division for Rapid City Parks and Recreation.
City pools were also facing a shortage in lifeguards.
At one point, there was a question as to the hours availability for city pools, which led to an increase in the amount of classes that were offered for lifeguards.
Lifeguards have been hired and for the time being, Carstensen says there should be no problem for pools to be open this summer.
“We did offer several more lifeguard classes than we normally offer in the spring time and I think, I’m still doing hiring this week, and we’ll be hiring next week and I think we’ll finally get all the positions filled, like I said it was about 40 or so, so I think we’ll actually get over that,” Carstensen said.
Rapid City Aquatics is also hosting a final lifeguard course from June 8 through June 11. Registration for the class closes on June 1.
Anyone with questions or wishing more information about the City’s outdoor pools or the Swim Center, call the Rapid City Parks and Recreation Department at 394-4175 or the Rapid City Swim Center at 394-5223.
If you’d like more information about the lifeguard course, email Barb Iwan at Barb.iwan@rcgov.org.
For a link to apply for the lifeguard openings, click here.
For more information regarding the Aquatics Division, click here.
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