Pool Monitoring Services

Started by DavidG45 • 8 replies • 421 views

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DavidG45 (Delaware)
Posts: 994

Posted:

Our pool is small enough it does not require lifeguards, so it is unstaffed completely. We are experiencing problems with people bringing in more than their allotted number of guests, and not abiding by our rules in general. I'm curious how communities enforce their rules. Is it okay to have volunteers to monitor the pools? Are their vendors who specifically provide that kind of service?

I recall somebody here mentioning requiring a Drivers License of other form of ID to enter the pool. Who is in charge of manning the entrance in that case? Interested in all suggestions.

BarbaraT1 (Texas)
Posts: 821

Posted:

Some management companies or pool service companies provide this service. Unfortunately, June is very late in the game to contract for them, as staffing is always a challenge with these roles, even when there isn't a nationwide labor shortage.

I prefer call them "courtesy attendants", rather than monitors because "monitor" gives the connotation of security.

When I have had attendants, I do not have them check drivers licenses. My experience has been that residents don't bring wallets and ID to the pools, and they are easily offended if asked to provide ID after they have used their access card to enter the gate. I just have them sign in. The attendant enforces rules - no unattended small children, running, diving, food in the pool, glass bottles, smoking etc, and straightens the pool furniture, makes sure the bathrooms have paper towels, etc.

Personally I don't recommend using volunteers for this job. Who is going to volunteer to stand out in the sun all summer long for hours at a time? Who is going to coordinate all the volunteers' schedules? What happens when someone is sick, or their child is sick, or they decide they'd rather go to the beach or they just don't want to do it anymore? With a paid service, none of this is your problem. And it's just never a good idea to set up a situation where neighbors are policing each other or engaging with each other in an adversarial way.

JohnT38 (South Carolina)
Posts: 1,631

Posted:

I don't know the answer to this but what liability does the HOA have when a drunken obnoxious person punches out the pool volunteer or they are hurt in a brawl?

LoriM15 (Florida)
Posts: 1,009

Posted:

Both of our pools are unmonitored but because so many of our residents are in the "senior" category we don't usually have problems at the pool. My concern with volunteers as attendents vs paid attendents is there might be a liability issue. Will your insurance cover volunteers? Also, I find that volunteers sometimes get a sense of self-importance that employees don't have. That self-importance can cause issues when they confront other homeowners.

Are the people bringing more than their quota of guests to the pool causing issues? Is overcrowding a problem or is it just not abiding by the rules?

We do have cameras covering our clubhouses and pools so we can go back and look at coverage if necessary. The only way you are going to fix this situation completely is to have a monitor and some kind of check in system. But you might want to send a communication to the homeowners reminding them of the rules and saying you will be cracking down first and that sometimes is enough to solve the problem.

SheliaH (Indiana)
Posts: 6,964

Posted:

We had off-duty police officers as our pool monitors. We tried teenagers, but some of them didn't show up for work and/or show up on time, while others either let the mayhem ensue or got intimated by the rowdier people (for good reason in some cases).

Like you, we had a small pool that didn't require lifeguards, but we also had a big problem with delinquencies at the time. Delinquent homeowners and their household members weren't allowed to use the pool, nor could they use it on another homeowner's pass, so we'd give the pool monitors a list of homeowners who were given passes (two guest passes per unit). Everyone had to have a pass and at least one person in the party had to be a resident. If your unit wasn't on the list it either met the head of the household (or the owner-landlord) didn't complete an application for the passes or he/she was delinquent. The owner-landlords were responsible for forwarding the passes to their tenants.

Before getting your pass, you had to complete a form stating you and your guests would comply with the community pool rules. The monitors also had the authority to shut the pool down if things began to get out of control. It did resolve some problems, but in the end, we got rid of our pool for financial reasons, and as I've said several times on this website, it's not missed AT ALL.

Now, I know some communities use key fob systems (you can cut off the pass for bad behavior or delinquencies), but that can get expensive. I suspect others will come through with their own suggestions - take them to your board meeting and consider what might work best for you. Good luck!

PS - I can't remember if it was a health department or fire marshall requirement in our area, but you might want to check if there's a maximum number of people your pool can hold. On hot days when everyone wants to take a dip, you might have to come up with some sort of cut-off, where no guests will be admitted, only residents (you can use color-coded passes to denote residents vs. visitors).

If it is not right do not do it; if it is not true do not say it. Marcus Aurelius

LetA (Nevada)
Posts: 2,679

Posted:

Before I was on the board they hired a security guard that was a total flop, Lifeguards are a better option because they know the rules.
Double bonus if the life guard you hire has the same permit as security guards for your jurisdiction.

HelenL2
Posts: 7

Posted:

We are having an ongoing issue with the same thing.
We had a "punch in the code" system, which was a big flop, as everyone in town knew the code, and we kept the same code for four years. You can imagine the mess we had to deal with.

We went to a fob system last year, in which the fob is scanned similar to a hotel room key. Way less trespassers, but-- we have a handful of intimidating residents who think that we need to open the gate to anyone who shows up, and that no resident has a right to address teens at the pool breaking the rules. We also have little kids who run up to the gate and open it for anyone who shows up, as well as residents who are too timid to confront trespassers sliding in as the resident is leaving. We still had people hopping the fence, and even had someone try to set our bathhouse on fire last year.

This year, a board member started monitoring the pool on her own time. She kicked out a group consisting of two teens (who have lived in the community a long time) and their potty mouthed guest who was given two warnings for her language before the whole group being asked to leave--only for the day-- after her third strike. Mad stepmom came marching back to the pool with potty mouth looking like the cat that ate the canary. Stepmom demanded the kids be allowed back in as no one was swearing; said she'd call the police on us. Board member called police; I went out to talk to them and explain the players and what happened. Long story short, police said "McKinney Pool Party; we're not getting in the middle of that" and left. (All white people in the pool at the time, so no--nothing racial could have been inferred.)

Our management office is 70 miles away, and our board members are tired of people coming after them with pitchforks because they are diplomatically trying to enforce basis health and safety rules which everyone with a pool fob signed off on. We have begged and pleaded to get cameras, but we're told "it will cost $10,000 minimum" which we don't have.

Good luck...but unless there's monitors or cameras, the malarky will most likely continue.

JohnT38 (South Carolina)
Posts: 1,631

Posted:

Quote:

Posted By HelenL2 on 06/12/2022 1:35 PM
We are having an ongoing issue with the same thing.
We had a "punch in the code" system, which was a big flop, as everyone in town knew the code, and we kept the same code for four years. You can imagine the mess we had to deal with.

We went to a fob system last year, in which the fob is scanned similar to a hotel room key. Way less trespassers, but-- we have a handful of intimidating residents who think that we need to open the gate to anyone who shows up, and that no resident has a right to address teens at the pool breaking the rules. We also have little kids who run up to the gate and open it for anyone who shows up, as well as residents who are too timid to confront trespassers sliding in as the resident is leaving. We still had people hopping the fence, and even had someone try to set our bathhouse on fire last year.

This year, a board member started monitoring the pool on her own time. She kicked out a group consisting of two teens (who have lived in the community a long time) and their potty mouthed guest who was given two warnings for her language before the whole group being asked to leave--only for the day-- after her third strike. Mad stepmom came marching back to the pool with potty mouth looking like the cat that ate the canary. Stepmom demanded the kids be allowed back in as no one was swearing; said she'd call the police on us. Board member called police; I went out to talk to them and explain the players and what happened. Long story short, police said "McKinney Pool Party; we're not getting in the middle of that" and left. (All white people in the pool at the time, so no--nothing racial could have been inferred.)

Our management office is 70 miles away, and our board members are tired of people coming after them with pitchforks because they are diplomatically trying to enforce basis health and safety rules which everyone with a pool fob signed off on. We have begged and pleaded to get cameras, but we're told "it will cost $10,000 minimum" which we don't have.

Good luck...but unless there's monitors or cameras, the malarky will most likely continue.

I agree. The best course of action is to fill the pool in with cement in the middle of the night.

LowellH1 (Georgia)
Posts: 21

Posted:

We just put up 7 cameras at our pool because of some shenanigans going on at the pool and in the parking lot. It cost 3 grand total. That's 24/7 recording, with the ability to go back a week I think on any of the cameras. The Board doesn't have access remotely, our property management lady keeps an eye on things for us. We also have neighbors who will report things when they see it. It cut down on a LOT of stuff. So 10k is a very high number.

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