Hi there!
The health, safety, and well-being of our community and Pool Staff are our highest priorities! As wildfire season impacts air quality across our region, we want to share how wildfire smoke can affect daily pool operations and when closures may occur.
To protect both our Pool Staff and you, the Howard Hopkins Memorial Pool follows public health guidelines established by the Washington State Department of Health (DOH).
- Official Air Monitoring: We track local sensor readings provided directly by the WA Department of Ecology’s Air Quality Map.
- The 151 AQI Threshold: When the local Air Quality Index (AQI) reaches 151 or higher (“Unhealthy” category), state guidance recommends moving staff indoors and canceling outdoor operations—especially strenuous outdoor activities for sensitive groups.
When air quality reaches 151 AQI or higher:
- Immediate Operations Hold: Outdoor pool operations will be temporarily suspended, and Pool Staff will be moved indoors into a safe environment for training and/or team building.
- Monitoring & Reopening Potential: We will try to hold off on full closures for a brief period in hopes that air quality conditions improve to safe levels, allowing us to resume pool operations.
- Cancellation Window: If the air quality does not improve within a reasonable timeframe (typically 1-3 hours), pool operations and programming for the remainder of the day will be officially canceled.
We encourage everyone to check current and forecasted air quality at AirNow.gov or during wildfire smoke at wasmoke.blogspot.com. We will post immediate closures or operational updates directly via RecDesk, our website, and social media channels.
See the links below for helpful resources and more information:
- https://doh.wa.gov/sites/default/files/2025-07/334-428.pdf#:~:text=Equals%20or%20exceeds%20an%20AQI%20value%20of,to%20an%20area%20with%20safer%20air%20quality
- https://doh.wa.gov/sites/default/files/legacy/Documents/Pubs/334-332.pdf?uid=649f1014db9d8
Thank you for your understanding and continued support as we work to keep our community and Pool Crew healthy this summer during wildfire season!
