Rio Rancho pools to open amid lifeguard shortage; Cabazon pool closed Mondays and Tuesdays

Bianca Baca, Aquatics Division Manager, told the Parks and Recreation Commission that outdoor pools will open this weekend but staffing shortages will require schedule adjustments. "Because of the short staff that we have this year, we only have 36 lifeguards this year," Baca said, noting that the department typically employs between 50 and 58 lifeguards.

Baca said Rainbow Pool will remain open through Aug. 9, but Hanes and Cabazon will not be open next week due to staffing constraints. She told commissioners that Cabazon will be closed on Mondays and Tuesdays for the summer unless additional lifeguards are hired; swim-team rentals have been moved to Rainbow on Mondays and Wednesdays, and training and refresher sessions are underway for returning staff.

The Rio Rancho Aquatic Center will be closed on Memorial Day, May 25, though outdoor pools will open for the holiday weekend. Baca said the department is running a condensed schedule for the three outdoor pools this weekend to maintain safe operations while recruiters and trainers continue hiring and preparing seasonal staff.

Deputy Director Noah Trujillo later provided complementary staffing numbers and programming context, saying the department expects roughly 60 aquatics-related employees this summer and estimated about 38 lifeguards in the broader aquatics staffing figure; he said camps and aquatics combined will yield about 100 seasonal employees.

Commissioners did not take formal action on aquatics operations during the meeting; staff said they would continue recruitment and adjust programming as needed to maintain safety.