Swimmers at the Esper A. Petersen Foundation Family Aquatic Center are in good hands, according to a recent audit by the Starfish Aquatics Institute.
For the second consecutive year, the aquatic center, operated by the Village of Grayslake, received the prestigious Five Star Award. The outdoor pool, at 250 Library Lane, is the only community pool in the village.
“We don’t do it for the accolades,” said Kevin Timony, who oversees the center as the village’s special services and economic development manager. “Our goal is to keep the place as safe as possible.”
The unannounced safety audit was performed last week, and lifeguards were evaluated on how well they scan the water and other techniques. Some of the lifeguards were videotaped for a short period.
The people performing the audit initially posed as customers but later disclosed who they were. Then they asked lifeguards to perform various drills and emergency procedures.
“It’s a practice we’ve had in place to help us get better and keep us fresh,” Timony said.
In addition to the three audits that Starfish Aquatics Institute performs each summer, managers at the aquatic center regularly conduct in-house audits in which lifeguards rescue heavy cloths in the water that resemble human beings.
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“It lets us know that they are staying vigilant,” said Timony. “It keeps our guards on their toes.”
Leslie Donovan, president of Starfish Aquatics Institute, said: “It is extremely difficult to achieve a five-star. If they get a three-star, four-star or five-star, they are going way above and beyond. It shows a tremendous amount of dedication on the part of the staff to maximize safety at their facility.”
Timony said a two-week training program at the aquatic center is pretty intense.
“We do one of the more thorough trainings in the area,” he said, adding that lifeguards are also required to receive four hours of in-service training each month.
The Esper A. Petersen Foundation Family Aquatic Center is a 325,000-gallon pool that opened in 2000. It has two water slides, lap lanes and a zero-depth entry pool with play features for children. It has 32 lifeguards.
“It’s owned by the village, but it is considered an enterprise fund, so we don’t fund it with any tax dollars,” said Timony. The pool is funded by the revenue it generates.
Local lifeguards who were part of the Five Star Award achievement were Megan Mertins, Bryan Clancy, Katherine Wiacek, Ellyn Ahlemeyer, Caleb Munk and Kevin Peloza. At the time of the audit, the managers on duty were general manager Shayna Mortensen and pool managers Kelly Jay and Amy Drangines.