Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers

Today, most safety work by lifeguards or ski patrol is still done by people, but technology is starting to help. For example, maintaining pool water quality is time-consuming and often falls short: CDC data found nearly 80% of public pools failed at least one safety check (bad pH or sanitizer levels) ^[1]. In response, some facilities are using smart sensors (IoT devices) that continually measure chlorine, pH, temperature and send alerts if anything drifts out of range ^{[2] [1]}.

These systems can dose chemicals automatically too, but they’re still new and costly, so many places still rely on lifeguards to test water the old-fashioned way. Digital apps now let lifeguards log weather and incident reports on tablets or phones, but there’s not much AI taking over note-keeping yet – most record-keeping remains a human task.

Whether offices or beaches add these tools depends on many factors. Life-saving jobs often pay minimum wage, so managers weigh whether expensive equipment is worth it. A high-tech drone or smart camera system might cost thousands of dollars plus upkeep, while a lifeguard costs a few dollars an hour.

Research notes that many smart pool sensors exist only because they’re paid for by high-end resorts or hospitals; most small pools still use cheap test strips ^[2]. Trust and liability also matter: people tend to trust a real lifeguard’s judgment more than a machine. That’s why even AI systems send alerts to a human operator.

For instance, the SharkSpotter team makes sure “a human responder will have final say on what action to take” when the AI spots a swimmer ^[4].