BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – There could be some changes coming to Kentucky pools just in time for summer.
News 40 spoke with state Rep. Kevin Jackson about House Bill 109, which is looking to address lifeguard issues in Kentucky. The bill creates two categories of pools he calls Class A and Class B, which have different staffing requirements.
Class A pools are open to the public and are at least 2,000 square feet in area, while Class B pools are more private and not accessible to everyone. Jackson said this happened after people contacted him about the health department closing the pool because there were no lifeguards on site, which was impacting high school swim teams and other activities. .
The bill would require Class A pools to have a lifeguard at all times because minors may be present in large areas of the pool without adult supervision. Class B pools must have lifeguards if they have equipment such as slides, wave machines, or diving boards. If there are no lifeguards, minors must be accompanied by an adult and a legal adult may swim whenever they wish.
News 40 also spoke to the executive director of the Kentucky Recreation and Parks Association about the bill, who said that while he supports most of the bill, there is still room for improvement. Jackson said this is a common-sense bill and that he did not file this bill to pose a risk to swimmers, but to remove government oversight. For Class B pools, Jackson said if you're an adult paying a membership fee to attend somewhere or be part of a team, you should be able to make the decision to swim without a lifeguard present.
Executive Director Terry Wilkerson told News 40 that he understands states may eliminate some requirements, but in many cases they don't care about what the regulations say, so facilities said you should check with your insurance company. Over the past year, Wilkerson said she has been inundated with people seeking evaluations after learning how little lifesaving staff can get away with. The director said he understands that staffing is difficult in some locations, but he believes it's better to pay now than later.
