DAVIDSON—Swimmers should expect reduced hours at Davidson Swimming Pool this summer due to a shortage of staff.

As of last Wednesday, Davidson recreation director Trevor Ouellette said he has two lifeguards for next season and he’s received an application for the manager position.

The pool usually has eight lifeguards on its payroll. This helps with scheduling and allows the pool to be open on evenings and weekends.

With a staff of three, Ouellette said the pool’s hours would be limited to Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

This will allow for lessons in the morning and public swimming in the afternoon.

To entice lifeguards to work at the pool Ouellette asked town council to increase wages of swim instructors.

“I have no problem increasing wages. It’s a niche job and they are looking after our kids’ lives,” Coun. Tyler Alexander said.

Mayor Clayton Schneider cautioned council that if wages for one sector of the town’s payroll increased, other workers would want a raise.

As it stands Ouellette said there are only four lifeguards in the community eligible to work under the junior program and two of those individuals do not want to. He said with a wage increase, it might attract senior lifeguards back to work at the pool.

The shortage in staff is due to the demographics of the region, which has a scarcity of teens aged 14 to 17. Another factor is the positive economy and some teens do not need to have a summer job or choose not to have one. A challenge, Ouellette said, is that some would prefer to spend their summer at leisure.

It’s put Davidson pool and other pools in local communities in a difficult position as they seek qualified lifeguards and instructors.