Aquatics programs are a mainstay for many PDRMA members and their communities, offering family fun and exercise for thousands of visitors each season — and they present a complex safety task for agencies!

Sandi Rease, Office Manager/Aquatics Director at Genoa Park District, knows how big a task it is. “We had about 13,000 patrons visit us during our 2024 aquatic season, and for a town of 5,700, that’s a big number!” The aquatics facility Rease manages includes a six-lane lap pool, a zero-depth wading pool with a slide and a splash pad, and, she adds, “The infamous ‘toilet bowl slide.’”

Nathaniel Hines, Recreation Program Specialist, and Jackie Beach, Recreation/Aquatics Supervisor, both at Geneseo Park District, can relate. Their aquatics facilities average approximately 20,000 visits per season.

“Our biggest challenge is managing our different attractions,” Hines explains. “While we’re fortunate to offer so much...

“Well begun is half done,” according to the proverb, and PDRMA members have definitely gotten off to a good start in 2025. All agencies completed their Risk Management Review (RMR) Kickoff Meetings by the April 1 deadline. “Now we need to keep the momentum going and continue to meet the deadlines,” says Tim Lenac, PDRMA Risk Management Services Supervisor. It’s an important goal, because a percentage of each agency’s incentive award is based on meeting those deadlines...

You don’t have to be an official treasure hunter to “find” hidden treasure. Nor do you have to trek miles in Yellowstone or blast through boulders to find up to $2,500. If your agency qualifies to submit a 2025 Risk Management Grant...

Spring is prep time for golf courses, baseball diamonds, soccer fields and park areas. It’s also a good time to review safety and risk management guidelines with full-time, part-time and seasonal employees...