It’s official — Barcroft Pool at Callahan Park will open on Saturday afternoon.
Parks and public works director Chip Comilla said Wednesday that the lifeguarding staff is at full complement.
“Thanks to (University of Pittsburgh at Bradford) and the YMCA opening a class, we’ve got enough people,” Comilla said.
He explained that after The Era ran a story about the delay in the pool opening because of a lack of lifeguards, applications started coming in.
“We’ll be open 1 to 4 p.m. on Saturday and from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.,” he said. The hours will be 1 to 4 on Sunday, and then back to the regular schedule for the rest of the summer.
He expressed his appreciation to city officials, and everyone with Pitt-Bradford and the YMCA who helped get through the shortage.
“The kids are finishing up training and there will be a meeting of the guards on Friday,” Comilla said. “They will get their schedules and we’ll get started.”
The pool normally opens the Saturday after Bradford Area School District’s last day of school. However, the opening was delayed because there weren’t enough lifeguards to operate at what Comilla felt was a safe level. It takes eight lifeguards to have each area of the pool complex open and operational, he explained.
Barcroft Pool is a very popular summertime attraction, with 150 to 200 people using the area on a hot summer day.
