Staff shortage in the solar outdoor pool: season in acute danger

Created: 05/12/2022, 14:42

By: Silke Reinbold-Jandretzki

Prepared for all eventualities: Everything is prepared so that the solar outdoor pool can open at any time.

Community employee Josef Fischer cleans the edge of the pool with a steam jet.

Later, the cleaned pool receives fresh water.

© Bartl

Unless another miracle happens, the Ohlstadt solar outdoor pool will remain closed for the first time in its history in summer.

The reason: lack of staff.

After the cancellation of a new lifeguard at short notice, a responsible specialist is missing.

The community tried everything to fill the position.

So far unsuccessful.

Ohlstadt

– Christian Scheuerer has staying power and doesn't just give up.

As an extreme runner, he doesn't shy away from even the toughest of challenges - regardless of whether it's 240 kilometers through the Sahara in Morocco or a 100-mile race in northern Canada at minus 35 degrees.

This time, however, Scheuerer, First Mayor (independent) of Ohlstadt, is standing still despite all his efforts, although he pulled out all the stops: "They try everything and get nowhere - that's frustrating somewhere."

Solar outdoor pool Ohlstadt: Normally the season starts in the Pentecost holidays

Especially since in this case it is not about a personal sporting goal, but about a community institution that has been an integral part of the village summer for decades: the solar outdoor pool.

The season starts again every year during the Pentecost holidays.

This year, however, the Ohlstadt threaten to sit on dry land.

According to the current status, the solar outdoor pool cannot open.

There is a lack of a responsible specialist, a pool attendant, so to speak, without whom the operation is not permitted - a specialist or a certified master for pool operations.

In contrast to a lake or a pond, the facility is a technical facility in which one must also be able to handle chemicals such as chlorine.

Lifeguards, cleaning staff and cashiers are not enough to open.

No operation due to lack of staff: That has never happened before

No specialist staff, so no pool operation.

"As far as I know, this has never happened before," says Scheuerer.

Everything seemed to be already settled.

Then the blow to the neck: the prospective man at the pool edge, who was found after a long, tedious search, canceled at short notice for personal reasons.

The outdoor pool meltdown.

Now country reigns under.

Without a solar outdoor pool there are no swimming alternatives in Ohlstadt

A season without the family pool - Scheuerer can't imagine that, he wants to prevent it with all his might.

The community counted around 16,000 visitors to the facility in the pre-Corona summer of 2019.

Ohlstadt lacks swimming alternatives on site, young people, parents with their children would have to switch to neighboring communities such as Oberau.

The mayor finds a figurative, flowery way of describing the fact that he has now reached a point where he would hardly reject any straw that comes his way: "I am ready for any outrage."

Solar swimming pool: Ohlstadt is not alone with its problem

Finding qualified personnel is like winning the lottery.

Many municipalities and operators face this problem.

Oberammergau was therefore no longer able to open its wave mountain at times, most recently Peiting had canceled the sails and announced that the season in the outdoor wave pool would have to be canceled due to a lack of staff.

The municipality of Murnau had also referred to this reason when they announced that their Staffelsee lido would initially only be designated as a public bathing area, i.e. without supervision.

The search for a new lifeguard has been ongoing since August 2021

Ohlstadt had started the tender in August 2021.

At the end of the 2020 season, Gunter Richter retired after 29 years as a lifeguard at the solar outdoor pool, his successor Alexander Richter took over as agreed for 2021 - now the Oberammergau native is busy with his passion as planned.

Scheuerer describes how he tried everything: He searched locally and nationally, via social media, spa journals, training centers, the other district communities, his entire, extensive network - nothing.

Through acquaintances, he even put out feelers as far as Mexico and Uruguay, but a lack of German skills proved to be a problem here.

First Scheuerer wanted to find a seasonal worker, then offered a year-round position.

Response: "not a call".

It wasn't until Ohlstadt also brought up a community apartment that the phone rang twice: once an interested candidate from Denmark called, "there the qualifications didn't fit".

But the other "was perfect," says Scheuerer.

Instruction, key handover - then the rejection.

Now the mayor is "absolutely at the end" of his wits, calls for public help - and hopes.

Building yard employees and an external service provider are gradually preparing the solar outdoor pool for the season in the hope of finding the needle in the haystack.

The new lifeguard would only need to lie down in the cleaned pool.

Instruction, key handover - then the rejection.

Now the mayor is "absolutely at the end" of his wits, calls for public help - and hopes.

Building yard employees and an external service provider are gradually preparing the solar outdoor pool for the season in the hope of finding the needle in the haystack.

The new lifeguard would only need to lie down in the cleaned pool.

Instruction, key handover - then the rejection.

Now the mayor is "absolutely at the end" of his wits, calls for public help - and hopes.

Building yard employees and an external service provider are gradually preparing the solar outdoor pool for the season in the hope of finding the needle in the haystack.

The new lifeguard would only need to lie down in the cleaned pool.

Applicants can contact Maria Höck in the municipality of Ohlstadt on telephone 0 88 41/67 12 35.