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San Ramon aquatics division reports steady participation, safety focus and staffing gains in 2024
Summary
Aquatics supervisors reviewed 2024 operations for the city's two aquatic facilities, noting stable camp and swim-lesson participation, a high lifeguard retention rate, 54 rescues among an estimated 288,000 visits, and plans to adopt digital record keeping and strengthen partnerships.
City aquatics supervisors presented a review of the aquatics program Jan. 8, outlining operations at the San Ramon Olympic Pool and the Dougherty Valley Aquatic Center and summarizing 2024 participation, staffing and safety outcomes.
Kevin Boggs, Aquatic Supervisor, and Amanda Tugwell, Aquatics Coordinator, reported the city operates two major aquatic facilities with five year-round pools and employs a seasonal staff that reached 118 at peak summer. "Between the two facilities, we employ 118 lifeguards, senior lifeguards, and pool managers," Boggs said.
Highlights in the presentation included stable summer-camp registrations (4,432 participants across camps, with 75% ages 812), swim lessons provided by contractor Elite Swim (customer satisfaction over 80%), and a low-cost water-readiness class that doubled participation to 32 in 2024. Staff noted competition from a new private swim program (a 24 Hour Fitness swim school) in the area and said they will increase marketing and monitor trends in 2025.
Safety and training were emphasized. Boggs and Tugwell reported aquatics staff made 54 rescues during an estimated 288,000 pool visits in 2024, and stressed that rescues most often occur during public recreation swim and can involve patrons of any age or swimming ability. The division conducts ongoing in-service training, unannounced audits by a third-party vendor and quarterly joint drills with San Ramon Valley Fire Department for emergency-transition practice.
Staff described workforce development and retention: 92% of seasonal aquatics staff are ages 1519, 93% are San Ramon residents, and the division achieved an 80% retention rate for returning staff from the prior summer. Lifeguard-training courses also serve as a hiring pipeline; staff said 53% of lifeguard course participants were hired by the city.
Planned next steps include adopting a digital record-keeping system to streamline health-department reporting and operations, expanding Red Cross instructor-trainer opportunities locally, and exploring mutual-aid training agreements with neighboring lifeguard services.
Commissioners praised the program and asked about competition and pricing; staff said contracted lesson pricing must remain competitive with private providers under current agreements and the city will pursue targeted outreach. No formal commission action was taken; staff requested feedback and will return with operational updates as needed.
