Memorial Day weekend is considered the unofficial start of summer. It’s when many public swimming pools and beaches open. A rare late-May heat wave helped to remind us there is a lot of hot weather on the way.

However, along with so many other things, there is a shortage of lifeguards.

The American Lifeguard Association estimates a third of the nation’s public pools may be closed this summer because there aren’t enough lifeguards. Several in Pennsylvania have already announced they won’t open this summer. There could be fewer beaches covered by lifeguards too.

Why are there so few lifeguards this year and what impact could the shortage have?

Thursday’s Smart Talk focuses on the lifeguard shortage with an assistant director of the Bureau of State Parks in the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.

Support WITF: https://www.witf.org/support/give-now/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.