Pros
Great work environment. Appreciation of parents because they know you're there to keep them and their children safe.
Cons
DRD charges their lifeguards for training. While they offer a discount, it is based on working a specific number of hours. There is also a reimbursement for holding a GPA of 3.5 or higher but I think you only get that if you work the specific number of hours. Unfortunately, they hire too many guards making it literally impossible to accrue the requisite number of hours. Then there is the issue of poor pay. They pay less than minimum wage to starting guards. Howard County starts at $10 and Montgomery County even more. Columbia Association pays a little more but their training is free so, you obviously make more at CA. The DRD website says you can "work as many or as few hours" as you want. Not true. Way to many lifeguards hired so the new guards get few hours.