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O'Fallon aquatics staff report lifeguard levels, chemical protocols and 2026 equipment requests
Summary
Aquatics staff told the O'Fallon Parks and Recreation Advisory Board they staffed 130–140 lifeguards in summer, track chemicals with HydroApps, and will ask council to approve 2026 items including an ADA lift, diving blocks and a diving board. Revenue and attendance figures for the season were also presented.
Tyler Hogue, the aquatic specialist for O'Fallon facilities, told the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board on Sept. 9 that the department staffed about 130–140 lifeguards during the summer season and roughly 70–90 in the fall. "Our team, we meet, we maintain between a 130 to a 140 lifeguards in the summertime," Hogue said, and described shift supervision at both Alligators Creek and the Renaud Center.
Hogue outlined the department's chemical-management approach and safety routines. Outdoor Alligators Creek uses liquid chlorine, muriatic acid, calcium chloride, sodium bicarbonate and a stabilizer; the Renaud Center uses pulsar tablets fed through a chlorinator and receives weekly CO2 deliveries. Hogue said staff use a HydroApps system that logs chemical checks and emails readings to him; head guards check AEDs, trauma bags and oxygen before shifts. "It pretty much emails me every time we check chemicals," he said.
The presentation reviewed training and programming. Lifeguards attend four hours of monthly in‑service training, conducted in person at pool facilities, and the department runs a variety of programs including group and private lessons, Aqua Cuties (ages 0–5), special events such as a pumpkin plunge (Oct. 17) and an underwater egg hunt in spring, and summer events that drew large participation (Pools Pause had almost 2,300 participants).
Hogue summarized 2025 repairs — concrete work at the Lazy River, fixes to leisure-pool return lines and slide and surface painting — and presented capital recommendations for 2026 for council consideration: diving/starting blocks for swim meets, a new ADA lift for the leisure pool, a diving board, and sandblast/paint of the leisure pool. "We have diving blocks, a new ADA lift for the leisure pool, a diving board, and sandblast and paint the leisure pool," he said.
On season finances, Hogue reported ACCC membership revenue of $68,499.50 (season goal $70,000), daily-admission receipts of $240,528 (goal $227,000), group-rate revenue of $13,239, and rentals totaling $7,260 (goal $7,530). He said early-season rain reduced memberships and increased daily admissions, noting weather's impact on season metrics.
Board members asked specifics about who applies chemicals (Hogue) and the frequency of checks (at least twice a month, with variation by bather load). Hogue said pools did not reach capacity on any day this season, though some days were close. The board thanked Hogue and Anne for the update; the presentation concluded with staff offering to provide further financial detail on overall facility pro forma at a later date.
