Pittsfield Lifeguard Update for 2025 Summer Season

04:00PM / Friday, July 04, 2025Print Story | Email Story

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Be advised that lifeguards will not be present to monitor the water and related activities like swimming at Burbank Park (Onota Lake) this summer.

The city began a search for qualified lifeguards in April of 2025. After several months of unsuccessful attempts to fill the lifeguard positions, the city is unable to provide lifeguarding for the 2025 season.

Swimming in an unsupervised, natural body of water is inherently dangerous. Any person choosing to swim does so at their own risk.

Onota Lake is a natural body of water with risks that include, but are not limited to:

Sudden and unexpected changes in water depth
Cold water temperatures that can impair swimming ability
Underwater hazards such as rocks, logs, and vegetation
Unpredictable currents
The lake bottom is not inspected or maintained for safety

Children and weak swimmers should not use the swimming area without close adult supervision. No one should swim alone.

There are no emergency services stationed at this park. In an emergency, call 911.

Signage will be available in various areas located throughout Burbank Park notifying the public of this message.

We will continue to keep the job posting for lifeguards open and encourage qualified candidates with the proper certifications to apply. Interested applicants can find more information here: https://jobs.keldair.com/cityofpittsfield/jobs/89907/lifeguard

iBerkshires.com Text Ads

rk MILES Blding Materials

Are You Ready to Update Your Home? Start With rk MILES. 4 Locations (800)670-7433

www.rkmiles.com

Greylock Youth SummerFest

Come join in on the wealth building fun! August 3-8. Click for event details. Insured by NCUA.

www.greylock.org

If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.

Pittsfield Remembers Lives Lost to Overdose, Underscores Harm Reduction

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
05:33AM / Tuesday, September 01, 2026

Mayor Peter Marchetti reads a proclamation at City Hall encouraging residents to raise awareness and lift each other up.

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Dozens of people gathered downtown on Monday to remember those lost to overdose and work toward a future of zero deaths from substance use disorder.

The Berkshire Overdose and Addiction Prevention Collaborative and its partners held a proclamation reading and flag-raising at City Hall, followed by a standout in Park Square with signs promoting the use of naloxone, harm reduction, and reducing associated stigma.

There were 23 fatal overdoses in Berkshire County in 2025, 11 in Pittsfield. This is down 44 percent from the 41 countywide fatalities in 2024.

While it is a significant decrease, advocates want to see that number at zero.

"On the one hand, we're very pleased to see this significant of a decrease. This is actually the lowest number that we've had since [Department of Public Health] started collecting these numbers in 2013, but the goal is still zero," said Andy Ottoson, public health planner with the Berkshire Regional Planning Commission.

August is International Overdose Awareness Month, the world's largest annual campaign to end overdose, remember those lost without stigma, and acknowledge the grief of families and friends left behind. September is National Recovery Month, a national observance to educate the public on the importance of substance use treatment and mental health services.

Samantha Kendall of Berkshire Harm Reduction explained that it is truly meeting people where they are, as they are, and when they are, "and I think we all do a really great job at that."

"We also want to remember that we're building a community for everybody, and systems and policies for everybody. That's really important in harm reduction work, so that's also the reason we're here today," she said.

View Full Story