During an extreme heat wave, the City of El Paso still struggles to find lifeguards to open pools

EL PASO, Texas- Even with cash bonuses for signing up and tuition reimbursement, the City of El Paso still can not find enough lifeguards to open all facilities.

The Borderland has seen extreme heat for the past two weeks, with the possibility of more in the forecast.

There are free splash pads located all over El Paso that are open to the public to cool down with, which do not require lifeguards, just supervision.

All of the pools within the City are not open to the public even though they are fully functional.

The problem is there are not enough lifeguards to allow people into the water safely.

Rick Isaias, the lead public affairs coordinator for El Paso, told ABC-7 that it is not a situation of competitive wages but rather more competitive work environments.

Isaias said the City competes with many private entities like Destination El Paso which staff city water parks, the country clubs and the YMCA and YWCA for employees.