Turning the tide: dive into how the city of Omaha pooled its resources to beat its water woes.

In 1996, the aquatic program for the city of Omaha, Neb., was in crisis. Two inner-city pools did not open on time due to a lifeguard shortage, facilities were in disrepair, attendance was down by 25,000 visitors, and staff personal safety--as well as public safety--was being compromised. The city of Omaha realized that an immediate plan needed to be devised if the aquatic program was to survive for much longer.

The plan that was developed and worked for the city of Omaha was comprised of four components: developing and implementing a master plan, creating an interdepartmental maintenance team, develop an aquatic team and programming some aquatic special events.

Making A Master Plan

The pool master plan process began in 1993 with a complete review and additional revisions occurring in 1999. Initially, a community task force was established with community leaders appointed by the city council, along with neighborhood association presidents and city staff, which included representatives from the park and recreation department, building services division, contract administration division, finance department, and city planning department. So far everyone involved in the process has been completely satisfied with the outcomes, as Omaha is currently in the with year of this plan. The goals for the pool master plan are as follows:

* Increase participation, especially from families returning to city facilities;

* Increase revenues;

* Reprioritize capital funding to implement the plan;

* Satisfy broad range of aquatic interests;

* Provide a safe, secure environment;

* Develop a proactive maintenance program;

* Provide an equitable and affordable level of service; and

* Forge community support.

Although the goals were set, implementing them proved to be another challenge. The city was divided into four quadrants, with priority given to the development of neighborhood pools. Four types of "pool concepts" were developed and placed into each quadrant of the city The four types of pool concepts are as follows.

1. Water Parks--These were defined as large complexes equipped with a full range of leisure pool facilities and amenities. The bather capacity would equal 800-1,500 persons, with a water surface of 8,000-18,000 square feet. Omaha estimated the cost to be $3-5 million.

2. Family Fun Pools--These existing pools were selected for the plan because the area had fairly high attendance and are located in areas not accessible to the water parks. These areas would be updated and have leisure facilities added, with a budget of $1.35-1.5 for the renovations.

3. Splash Pools--These new aquatic facilities would be planned in major city parks where the prior pool attendance indicated that additional facilities were required to augment family fun pools. These facilities would have a bather capacity of approximately 300 people, with a water surface of about 4,000 square feet. The budget for these projects was estimated at $1.2 million.

4. Water Playgrounds--These facilities were added to the master plan in 1999, and were intended to replace pools in locations where maintenance of a full swimming pool was not feasible but yet community demographics still indicated the need for a water feature. These were estimated to cost between $150,000 to $500,000.

Since the implementation of the master plan in 1998, five pools have been closed, six have been converted to new concepts and three water playgrounds have been completed. In addition, the department is in the process of funding one new water park and buying property for another in the coming year. Because of these improvements, Omaha saw a 61 percent increase in attendance at the renovated or new areas, as well as garnered more than $1 million in private donations to help fund the master pool plan.

Interdepartmental Maintenance Team

In the 1960s and 1970s, Omaha saw a significant growth in Sanitary Improvement Districts (SID) as a means of development within the metropolitan area, and with that came an increase in the number of associated pools. As SID's were annexed by the city, their pools became the maintenance and operational responsibility of the city. Often these pools were constructed to lower quality standards than the city would have employed. Not until 1980 did the city begin to regulate SID pool development more closely. Today, more than 50 percent of the city-operated pools were developed by and inherited from SID's, ultimately resulting in old deteriorating aquatic facilities.

In 1997, with this in mind, 10 individuals from two city departments, four divisions were teamed up to form the Maintenance Team. This team meets monthly in the off-season and once a week during the in-season to discuss and prioritize repairs and identify maintenance needs. Extensive facility tours are conducted pre- and post-season. The aquatic facility managers complete written inspection reports for the Maintenance Team to reviews; every aspect of the facility being looked at, from circulation and filtration to bricks and mortar to the aesthetically pleasing touches. The team prioritizes, repairs and obtains cost figures and the work begins. Each season the process starts all over. This process has enabled Omaha to chip away at repairs rather than resorting to the bandaide approach.

Formation of an Aquatic Team

In 1997, seven full-time recreation staff members were assigned to work year-round to improve the aquatic program.

The first step was to establish and rewrite the operational manuals. Along with the Policies and Procedures Manual, an in-service training program was developed, Emergency Action Plan devised, Crisis Team formulated, Injured on Duty procedures developed, and program manuals for Learn to Swim and Recreational Swim League were also developed and initiated prior to opening season. These manuals are reviewed and revised annually.

Once policies and procedures were in place, staff had to be recruited. The newly developed Aquatic Team felt that the best way to recruit lifeguards was to begin with training more lifeguards. In 1996, the city offered nine lifeguard training classes, while in 20O3, that number had risen to 33 classes that were offered. Possible candidates are recruited from each of these classes. Other recruitment techniques included interviewing during school breaks, placing personal phone calls to trained citizens, and mailing ads to past employees, local schools, colleges, swim coaches and community leaders. Finally, an inner-city lifeguard recruitment plan was implemented in 2001, and during the first year of this program Omaha hired 33 percent more employees from those identified areas.

Changing employee attitudes was the final step. This bad to start from the director to the part-time staff. Creating a professional image and attitude within the aquatic team started by providing full-time employees with additional training opportunities. Each aquatic team member became a certified pool operator, lifeguard certified and lifeguard instructors. The seasonal staff began to see that the aquatic team was professional, they cared about the program and they could walk the talk. Thus, employees began to buy in to the new philosophy.

To improve the seasonal employee's performance, a comprehensive training program was developed and implemented. The first step started with a pre-service training for all staff. This consisted of both classroom and pool time. Other training included:

* Weekly, one hour training sessions;

* Weekly, emergency training drills;

* Weekly conditioning; and

* Weekly, aquatic-related articles that staff were required to read.

Equipment and supply purchases were a necessary step. Prior to 1997, seasonal staff was not provided with the proper equipment to do their jobs. Simple things such as office supplies and change funds were needed to improve operations.

Staff and customer safety was the next hurdle that needed to be overcome by Omaha. Currently, five facilities have full-time police officers assigned to work during all hours of operation. At a cost of $68,000 in 2003, this safety precaution has improved the reputation of these facilities, and it is no longer difficult to hire employees to work at these locations.

In 2001, the City Ordinance for a Living Wage was passed and went into effect. Lifeguard wages rose from $6.80 to $9.01. This resulted in having 70 percent of the staff return in 2001. This ordinance was repealed in 2002, but fortunately for the aquatic program, the city council recognized that higher wages improved the quality of service and wages remained the same in 2002. For 2004, 72 percent returned for the season.

In addition to great wages, an in-service training program has enhanced staff retention. Components of this program include rescue awards, lifeguard competitions, an end-of-the-season social event, and an Omaha Lifeguard Day, here staff is recognized by the mayor at a city-wide event.

Making Aquatics Special

Creating a unique environment with new events was the last piece of the puzzle. Weekly special events are held at each of the 19 facilities. Some of those include a Flick and Float, Can Drive for a Dive, a Father's Day Swim and Meet Your Lifeguard Day. These special events added a new dimension to the city's summer program and helped increase overall attendance.

As a result of this successful plan, Omaha was the recipient of the 2003 National Excellence in Aquatics Award from NRPA. The Excellence in Aquatics Award honors an agency judged to demonstrate excellence in the management and development of public swimming pools and other aquatic facilities. The award highlights both the massive physical improvements at Omaha pools and the quality of aquatic staff currently managing the facilities. This plan has resulted in a 37 percent increase in attendance since 1998, and reduced cost per swimmer usage by 38 percent, as well as an overall staff retention rate of 72 percent.

As we all know, a crisis can happen at any time in an aquatic environment. A good plan, along with being proactive can help minimize your risk and hopefully prevent it. In Omaha, a crisis created an award-winning aquatic program, which can swim with the best in the country.