As the pool season ends, it's essential to reflect on the performance and safety of your facility with an end-of-summer review. By reviewing key data points through data at the facility, asset, and staffing levels, you can gain valuable insights that will drive improvements and enhance operations for the upcoming season. 

Facilities: Assessing water quality, maintenance records, safety and incident reports, usage and attendance statistics, and compliance with regulations helps ensure your facility operates smoothly and meets safety standards. Tracking pool water temperature trends, chemical usage, incident response times, and pool closure reports provides a comprehensive view of operational efficiency and highlights areas for potential upgrades or preventive measures. 

Assets: Monitoring the condition and usage of pool equipment and facility features, evaluating vendor and supplier performance, and ensuring regular maintenance are crucial for maintaining a high-quality environment. Keeping detailed records of equipment inspections, facility cleanliness, and the performance of vendors and suppliers helps ensure that all assets are functioning optimally and that any issues are addressed promptly. 

Staffing: Effective management of lifeguard staff involves analyzing staffing schedules, training records, and performance metrics. By tracking staff hours, shift coverage, response times, incident handling, audit performance, and certification status, you can ensure your team is well-trained, well-managed, and prepared for any situation. Collecting feedback from patrons, conducting peer reviews, and implementing regular performance evaluations further helps in maintaining a high standard of service. 

Facilities

Water Quality and Maintenance Records:

• Chemical Levels: Review records of chlorine, pH, alkalinity, and other chemical balances to ensure they were consistently maintained and checked and maintained. 
• Filtration and Circulation: Check maintenance logs for filtration systems and pumps to ensure they were functioning correctly and were serviced regularly. 
• Water Testing Results: Analyze results from water quality tests to identify any trends or recurring issues.

Usage and Attendance Statistics: 

• Patron Counts: Review attendance data to understand peak times, overall usage patterns, and attendance trends over the season. Breakdown data to know what bodies of water were the busiest and what attendance was. 
• Program Participation: Analyze participation in any special events, swim lessons, or other programs.

Compliance and Regulations: 

• Regulatory Adherence: Review compliance with local health and safety regulations and Model Aquatic Health Code standards, including any inspections or citations received. 
• Documentation: Ensure all necessary documentation and records are up to date and complete. 

Pool Water Temperature Trends: 

• Average Daily Temperature: Track the average daily water temperature to see if there were any fluctuations that could affect comfort or chemical balance. 
• Heating/Cooling Costs: Analyze the cost of heating/cooling if applicable and compare it with usage and comfort levels.

 HydroApps products to help collect and examine this data

Safety and Incident Reports: 

• Accidents and Injuries: Review any incidents or accidents that occurred, including their causes and outcomes. Create categories, areas, and types of parties as filters so you can organize collected data. 
• Rescue and First Aid: Evaluate how effectively rescue and first aid procedures were handled and ensure they were filled out in detail. 
• Lifeguard Performance: Assess lifeguard activity in performance evaluations, audits, and incident response effectiveness.

Incident and Emergency Response Times: 

• Response Times: Measure the average response times for incidents and emergencies to evaluate the effectiveness of your safety protocols. 
• Resolution Times: Track how quickly issues were resolved and if there were any patterns in delays. 

Pool Closure Reports: 

• Reasons for Closure: Maintenance issues, water quality problems, weather conditions, safety concerns, and operational issues.
• Duration and Frequency: Closure start and end times, total duration, frequency of closures.

 HydroApps products to help collect and examine this data

Chemical Usage Statistics: 

• Chemical Consumption Rates: Review the quantities of chemicals used throughout the season to understand trends and predict future needs. 
• Cost of Chemicals: Evaluate the cost of chemicals relative to water quality and maintenance requirements. 

 HydroApps products to help collect and examine this data

Assets

Equipment and Facility Condition:

• Equipment Inspections: Check the condition of pool equipment, furniture, and other equipment to identify any maintenance needs or repairs.
• Facility Cleanliness: Evaluate the cleanliness and upkeep of the pool area, including changing rooms, showers, and restrooms. 

Pool Equipment Usage:

• Usage Frequency: Track how often pool equipment (such as slides, diving boards, etc.) is used and whether certain features are more popular than others.
• Maintenance Needs: Review any issues or repairs related to pool equipment and assess the frequency and types of problems encountered. 

Vendor and Supplier Performance:

• Timeliness of Deliveries: Assess the reliability of vendors and suppliers in terms of delivery times and product quality.
• Cost vs. Value: Review the cost of supplies and services compared to the value and quality provided. 

HydroApps products to help collect and examine this data

Staffing

Staff Scheduling:

• Staff Hours Worked: Analyze the total hours worked by each staff member and costs associated with shifts and weeks.
• Shift Coverage: Evaluate the adequacy of shift coverage, including any issues with understaffing or overstaffing. 

HydroApps products to help collect and examine this data

Staff Performance:

• Attendance Records: Track attendance and punctuality for each lifeguard to identify any patterns of absenteeism or tardiness.
• Number of Incidents Handled: Evaluate performance in periodic skill assessments or drills to ensure ongoing competency.

 HydroApps products to help collect and examine this data

Staff Effectiveness:

• Incident Response Times: Track how quickly lifeguards respond to incidents, including rescues, medical emergencies, and other safety situations. Sort out types of responses for record keeping and future training purposes. 
• Number if Incidents Handled: Record the number of incidents each lifeguard is involved in, including rescues, first aid, and preventative interventions. Find common trends by examining days of week, times of day, and bodies of water.
• Effectiveness of Rescue Skills: Evaluate the success rate of lifeguard rescues and first aid interventions to ensure skills are effective and protocols are followed. 

Staff Certification Audits:

• Certification Status: Keep track of each lifeguard’s certifications, including expiration dates for CPR, first aid, and lifeguard training. Document non-mandatory certification trainings that may still be required like Sexual Harassment, Discrimination Training, and others based on your operations and local jurisdiction.
• Create Certification Plan: Make note of volume of staff that will need training, recertifications, and when in preparation for the next season. Document how many certifications your team has administered in the season and what portion of staff your team trains and certifies.

Team Feedback & Evaluations:

• Customer Feedback: Collect feedback from patrons regarding the perceived attentiveness and professionalism of lifeguards.
• Peer Reviews: Implement a system for lifeguards to provide feedback on their colleagues, focusing on teamwork and adherence to safety protocols.
• Supervisor Evaluations: Conduct regular evaluations by supervisors to assess each lifeguard’s performance, attitude, and adherence to procedures.

HydroApps products to help collect and examine this data

Staff Training & Auditing:

• Staff Performance: Assess the performance and attendance of your staff, including lifeguards, maintenance personnel, and other employees.
• Training Records: Review records of training completed by staff, including certifications and any additional training or refresher courses.
  

 HydroApps products to help collect and examine this data

By leveraging these insights and utilizing the HydroApps modules like Facility Manager, Pool Test, Asset Manager, and Lifeguard Manager, you can make informed decisions that enhance your facility's operation and safety. Embracing a data-driven approach ensures that your pool remains a safe, enjoyable, and efficiently managed environment for all patrons. 

As you wrap up this season, take the time to analyze these data points thoroughly, address any identified issues, and plan for improvements.

Here’s to a successful end of the season and a well-prepared start for the next!