Pittsburgh implements chaperone policy at Ormsby Pool
After a few incidents at the start of the season, the city said it's putting the policy in place at Ormsby Pool.
According to the new policy, chaperones are going to have to show their IDs to prove they are 21 or older to allow anyone 15 and under inside.
"Most kids, they all need to be supervised to an extent. They need to have supervision, definitely," Audrey Smith said while her kids played at Ormsby Pool.
Parks and Recreation Director Kathryn Vargas said there have been a few incidents of kids not listening to rules and regulations to start the season. She said crowds have been bigger with the hot temperatures. While nothing reached the level of criminal activity, it proved to be a distraction to the lifeguards' main duty.
"For us, our primary goal is safety, so making sure that every person in the water is safe, our guards need to really be able to focus there," Vargas said.
The policy is the same as the one at the Highland Park Pool that started last summer. Over the weekend, there were no reported issues at Ormsby.
"It just makes it safer. Kids should be watched. I mean, kids think they're adults at 15, but they're really not," South Side resident Barbara Harrington said.
"It's gone well. We haven't had any issues at Highland Park where we've had to do anything dramatic," Vargas said.
If anyone doesn't abide by the new policy, they will not be let in and staff at the gate will explain it to them. Chaperones will also be responsible for making sure minors they are watching follow all pool rules.
"I think it's important to make sure your kids follow the rules so that it's safe for everyone. If they don't follow the rules, eventually the pools are gonna get closed," Smith said.
According to the city, they are not planning to do this at every city pool. Right now, it is just a case-by-case basis.
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