The City of Buffalo has officially opened its pools for the summer season, inviting the public to use them from now through Labor Day.
The pools will be daily from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., with the exception of a weekend day during which certain pools will be closed. A full schedule is available on the city's official website.
City officials gathered at Riverside Pool on Wednesday morning to kick off the pool season. While the handful of local youngsters volunteering to be the first to jump in found the water a bit chilly, officials say when hotter weather arrives the city's pools will offer a safer way to cool off.
"There are open waterways in the city that are not safe to swim," said Mayor Byron Brown. "They are posted for no swimming. There are no lifeguards there. We suggest that people not swim, ever, in any unprotected body of water."
City pools, meanwhile, will be fully staffed with Red Cross-certified life guards and security, with Buffalo Police available as well.
"We go over a code of conduct for life guard employees we have to read through and they have to sign," said Deputy Parks Commissioner Andrew Rabb. "We do take this very seriously."
The only city-owned water facility not open to the public is the splash pad at Cazenovia Park, which is undergoing repairs.
