In the north-west of Lyon, the hot days are likely to be long for the inhabitants of the Vaise district: ” if needed “, the municipal swimming pool, one of the rare sources of freshness, closes its doors throughout the month of August. The reason ? “A dozen lifeguards are missing in the whole city”deplores Lionel Douzet, head of the swimming pool division at the City’s sports department.
This summer, Rhône-Alpes bathing sites, like everywhere in France, are struggling to recruit professionals to monitor aquatic activities and are forced to reduce their opening hours – even temporarily closing – in large cities such as Grenoble (Isère) or medium-sized towns like Cluses (Haute-Savoie).
Pointing out working conditions
Professionals point to a lack of attractiveness. “First there is the mismatch between remuneration and responsibility: a beginner earns an average of €1,400 when his obligations make him risk a series of criminal, civil, administrative, hierarchical sanctions… including a five-year prison sentence. prison and €75,000 fine”deplores Axel Lamotte, spokesperson for the French Federation of lifeguards (FFMNS).
At the water’s edge, especially in the summer, their mission is one of surveillance – rather than teaching or coaching – during which they are regularly the subject of verbal and physical aggression. . Juliette, a 22-year-old student who spends her holidays practicing at various Haute-Savoie sites, observes that these working conditions have prompted many of her colleagues to turn to private establishments, such as aquafitness centers, or to offer private lessons. “And that’s without taking into account the problems of housing or the cost of living, for seasonal workers, when demand is greatest. »
5,000 vacancies
The situation is spreading and getting worse, according to the FFMNS which estimates that in 2023, 5,000 positions will be permanently vacant, or “replaced inappropriately, which tends to devalue the profession”. In the context of school outings, for example, the professionals are gradually taken over by PE teachers, or even volunteer parents.
At the same time, the paths to the mission of the MNS – initially via training involving a certain cost or a certain duration – are widening. Since June 3, 2023, for example, a government decree authorizes holders of the BNSSA – a volunteer first aid diploma – to “ensuring autonomous bathing surveillanceaccpaying ».
This deregulation of the profession makes it possible to resort to a larger and cheaper workforce to deal with the shortage. But it lowers the level of training requirements. Result: the general level of swimming – that of the supervisors as well as that of the swimmers – is down.
Increase in drownings correlated with rising temperatures
Fabien Camporelli, sociologist attached to the Clersé laboratory and teacher at the University of Lille, was interested in the consequences of the situation. In remote coastal regions, part of the population – especially those who do not go on vacation or those caught up in the “white waters are back in vogue” – could turn, in the event of temperature peaks, to dangerous sites because they are not supervised or because they present bacteriological risks.
This concern increases with the prospect of global warming “since we already know that the increase in accidents and drownings is correlated with the rise in temperatures », notes Fabien Camporelli. To cope, professionals are asking the public authorities for an emergency plan for training, “because learning to save others is a long and complex process”we would like to remind the FFMNS.
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A profession that dates back to 1951
The lifeguard (MNS) is one of the oldest sports coaching professions. The statute was officially created in 1951, after the State became aware of the extent of drownings and made it compulsory to monitor bathing areas with paid access by specialized personnel.
In the post-war period, bathing as a leisure activity developed, together with the prevention policy. The profession then becomes particularly buoyant: there are 5,000 new graduates per year.
Nearly 20,000 MNS currently practice their profession in France, after a steady decline in numbers for several years.
2023-08-05 14:19:15
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