Pool staff trained, ready for summer

Eric Kirby, the aquatic director for Liberty Pool at Cannon Air Force Base, is looking forward to a good summer swimming season.
Kirby said he’s getting his staff ready with water safety instructor courses this month.

Now, with Liberty Pool set to open May 24, Kirby hopes everyone who comes to the pool — young and old alike — will be ready for another summer of safe water fun, too.

“Everyone needs to be aware of the people they come to the pool with and their swimming abilities,” Kirby said.

Problems often arise in the beginning of the season because people either overestimate their swimming abilities or come unprepared for the sun and wind of eastern New Mexico, Kirby said.

“Some people remember they could easily swim 1,000 meters last summer, but the problem is they haven’t been swimming for about eight months, so they are not going to have the same abilities at the start of the summer,” Kirby said.

Kirby, 25, a civilian employee who is starting his third season at Cannon’s pool, said this also will be his 11th season as an instructor/trainer and lifeguard.

The Texico High School graduate said growing up in eastern New Mexico, he knows what the sun and wind can be like in this area, but some people who go to the base pool might not.

“Hypothermia issues can actually be a problem at the beginning of the season because a lot of young kids get wet and then get in and out of the pool a lot and are out in the wind too much,” Kirby explained.

“It’s something people don’t think about. Our pool is warming up but the temperatures aren’t going to be as warm at the beginning of the season. Everyone should bring a big beach towel and stay in the water longer rather than jumping in and out and be sure to dry off thoroughly when they do get out.”

Basically, swimmers should “pay attention to whatever their body is telling them, whether they’re cold or hot or tired or get a cramp,” Kirby said.

Cannon’s Liberty Pool offers water aerobics classes, as well as Red Cross certified swimming lessons for people at every ability level “from toddlers to lifeguards,” Kirby said.

Water safety increases enjoyment

With warmer temperatures and summer on the way, more and more children and adults will be seeking refuge from the heat and fun in the sun at pools and lakes throughout the region.

That’s why Cindy Meeks, interim director of the American Red Cross office in Clovis, wants to get the word out about the importance of knowing how to stay safe in and around the water.

“I was an aquatics director for 15 years and I continue to instruct classes, so water safety is a big concern for me,” Meeks said. “The more safety training we can offer, the safer our communities will be.”

For Meeks, who grew up in a family of synchronized swimmers in Oregon, being around the water is second nature.

“I was actually raised along the Pacific Ocean on the West Coast and I was always near water,” Meeks said. “Where I went to school, we even had swimming lessons at school and daily use of a pool.”

The American Red Cross sponsors various levels of swimming lessons, lifeguard training classes and other water safety courses at Cannon Air Force Base and in Clovis, Portales and throughout the five-county region her office serves, Meeks said.

Clay Hawk, who supervises the Portales City Pool in the summer and the Clovis Community College Health and Fitness Center year-round, said he hopes more adults, as well as children, will take advantage of swimming lessons and water safety courses.

“For the adults, we have swimming classes in the evenings after work at the Portales pool where they can swim without any kids around so they can be relaxed about learning,” Hawk said. “For the kiddos, my main hope is that they all get comfortable around the water and not scared and that they get used to being in the water.”

Meeks said that with the increasing number of children going swimming regularly as school gets out for the summer, “it’s really important that they’re familiar with the swimming pool facility rules and attend swimming lessons if they can to stay safe and prevent emergencies from happening.”

Staying safe at other waterfront locations, such as oceans on vacation or lakes close to home, means adults and children need to use proper lifesaving devices at all times and be aware of other factors that could make being in and around the water more dangerous, such as dehydration, exhaustion, heat stroke and muscle cramps, Meeks said.

As a strong swimmer and water enthusiast himself, Hawk urges adults to follow basic water safety rules, especially when they go to area lakes and sometimes let down their guard.

“Even if you’re an adult, at the lake you should always make sure you let someone know where you’re going and go with a buddy,” Hawk said. “No matter where you are, always make sure you wear sunscreen. And don’t drink and then try to go swimming or boating.”

For those who haven’t been swimming the rest of the year, Hawk also advises them to dive in gradually until their muscles get used to swimming again in the summer.

Aquatic Safety Info

American Red Cross regional office, Clovis: Cindy Meeks, interim director, 763-4129.
The American Red Cross offers several water safety programs.

Cannon Air Force Base, Outdoor Recreation: Eric Kirby, 784-2773, Eric.Kirby@cannon. af.mil Water safety instructor courses, swimming lessons. Liberty Pool opens May 24.

City of Clovis: Sheila Holley, Clovis Aquatic Center, 1700 E. Seventh St. 762-4519

City of Portales: Clay Hawk, Portales Municipal Pool, 320 E. Seventh St., 226-1716. Lifeguard course, June 2-8.