Lifeguards at the Hinsdale pool recently impressed auditors from Star Guard and earned a five-star safety rating. (file photo)
The Hinsdale Community Pool recently received the highest possible rating in an audit from StarGuard, the company that provides certification for lifeguards.
The company audits pools randomly, said Mike Hayes, superintendent of parks and recreation.
"We don't know when it's going to happen," he said. "In this case, when they did the audit on us, we got a five star, which is remarkable. In all my years in aquatics, I've never actually had a five-star audit.
"Getting a three star is great. Getting a four star is exceptional," he added. "Getting a five star is just amazing."
The unannounced audits include four different areas, according to the StarGuard website: observations of lifeguards, slides and on-deck supervisors; skills and scenarios testing; facility operational safety review; and operational documentation review.
"Our audit program is objective-based, has a clear scoring methodology and helps facilities evolve their facility's comprehensive safety for guests and staff," the website reads.
"In this case, all of our staff that were observed did everything perfectly, from scanning their zone to looking at the water to being in the chair in a proper pose," Hayes said. "There was not a ding on any of the lifeguard staff, which is a kudos to the training put in place."
He praised Faith Benson, the manager on duty during the audit. He also complimented the senior staff who train more than 80 lifeguards ages 15 to 18 for certification and conduct in-services twice a week over the summer.
"I couldn't have asked for a better team to get them ready and prepared," Hayes said.
The staff as a whole is a source of pride for Hayes.
"What a great team," he said. "Amazing kids from high school to college. They work well together. They're not only a team, they're a family out there."
What does this rating mean to patrons?
"It means that we have an exceptionally safe pool. Patrons can feel comfortable bringing their families and their loved ones, knowing our staff is vigilantly watching and preparing to handle any emergency as needed," Hayes said.
