Front desk/slide attendant Front row: Kira Stroud and Jaiden Higgins; middle row: Julien English, Raylee Marshall, Hailie Hark, Mya Evans, Jazara Tate, Zaria Reese, Kimia Winston and Connor Hudson; back row: Tara Reed, Macy Behrens and Ashley Davis; not pictured: Kamilah Paaluhi and Adrianna McMath
Lifeguards Front row: Mackenzie Livesay, Mara Robb, Addison Friday, Amber Scoggan, Avril Collier and Norah Bryant; middle row Mariah Mayfield, Genna Long, Keatyn Shinn, Elizabeth Romano, Natalie Nguyen, Scarlett Sternke, Brynn Dolbeare and Jaxson Essig; back row Emilia Bates, Pares Chapple, Braden Kaylor, Julian Murphy, Donnie Murphy, Cayson Hess, Atticus Sternke and Nevaeh Boling.
Opening day for the Ronny Ferrel Hannibal Aquatic Center is May 31.
The Aquatic Center, located off U.S. 36 at 1700 Pleasant St., is open 1 to 6 p.m. every day. Emily Hultgren is serving her second year as aquatics director. Pool managers are Garrett Heaton and Madison Musgrove. Head lifeguards are Emilia Bates and Nevaeh Boling.
There are eight lifeguards and two slide attendants on duty at all times when the pool is open.
Hannibal Parks & Recreation Department switched from Red Cross to StarGuard Elite training for the employees this year. Hultgren said StarGuard Elite will allow more in-house training and internal safety audits at the pool.
The city of Hannibal’s insurance company, Missouri Intergovernmental Risk Management Agency, encouraged the switch. StarGuard Elite requires training every year, instead of every two years.
As a StarGuard ELITE instructor, Hultgren passed written and skills tests to demonstrate lifesaving expertise. The certification allows her to teach Lifeguarding, Basic Life Support, Basic First Aid, Bloodborne Pathogens and Emergency Oxygen.
She trained the lifeguards in lifeguarding skills, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, automated external defibrillator and first aid implementation. She also trained front desk/concession staff members, along with Parks & Recreation staff and maintenance employees first aid, CPR and AED instruction.
Hultgren also earned the National Parks & Recreation certification as an Aquatic Facility Operator.
