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Home My WebLink About1994-01-17; City Council; 194-3; Letter/Dee LundquistPARKS & RECREATION COMMISSION - AGENDA BILL IRM-3 DEPT. TITLE: MTG. '""*" LETTER/DEE LUNDQUIST (INFO) RECOMMENDED ACTION: Accept and file. ITEM EXPLANATION; Upon receipt of the attached letter (Exhibit 1) to the City Manager's Office, a Request for Action in regard to the contents of the letter was sent to the Parks and Recreation Department. As outlined on the "Request for Action" form (Exhibit 2) and further responded to in a memo from the Recreation Superintendent (Exhibit 3), the issue regarding certification requirements for aerobic instructors has been satisfactorily addressed and resolved by all parties concerned. EXHIBITS: 1. Letter from Dee Lundquist - 12/8/93 2. Request for Action - City Manager - 12/31/93 3. Memo from Recreation Superintendent - 12/28/93 013 CITY OF CARLSBAD REQUEST FOR ACTION OFFICE OF THE CITY MANAGER Referred to HLfl& A D Please Handle D Please Call Requestor D Investigate and Report Q£ Respond Directly/Send Copy of Response w/RFA D ,Draft Reply for Signature RETURN COMPLETED REQUEST TO (_hff BY Requestor's Name 0C.1L 3 Pecans id e vr- Date Phone Explanation of Reoues. -milk fo Received By Action Taken !isW v^ 0>-V\A <^e^L\*av%.Ql ^ J^A A Q Ob (1 Ac^L-KN/iM J Requestor Notified of Action Taken: M^ /" i *\-——•-^. A SI ^™- f\ I I . j Handled B1 Dept./Div. 014 EXHIBIT 1 (Return original white copy with res DEFERRED TO CITY MANAGERf OR RESPONSE -Carlsbad-v^ Recreation Dept. 3096 Harding St. Carlsbad, Ca.-92OOS-232C ALL RECEIVED 12/8/93 I, being the leader o-f the Trimnastic Aerobics class, have been requested by my students to deliver t h e ' a tt ac h^fl R^ ia^: this c*ass willAs you will notice the si qnees are .c.PJ nce_'"I?^'J- b e-wdi-sconti'n uec ^ -for certification - i n I 1 y ^'.f T 1 "I"! nn "i • fpl aced-~ sj^ery^^Qn«*aenqbicsi^insti^ education Classes. They - -feel ~ that this is ~a : f orm*t-^ofl>:hacassnie>nt because many of the other classes offered by CPRD involve physical routines and excercises that are far more strenuous and more prone to bodily injury than are aerobics classes. The signees petition that if this is a realistic requirement, based on safety and well being of students, it should be mandated to all physical education^cl ass instructors, their supervisors and class auditors. The r equ i r emen t s ~'i ncl ud i nql''y ear 1 y re-certiJvicatix)n^snourd*^be^exactly.V_the,sameJ^ personnel. This should "not be a form of discrimination directed toward aerobic instructors. They feel that if this certification requirement "is "'nof'f airly ""implement ed^it"*^hould^jaa;i^dt3csj:ontinued. It should^ be_; noted J_Jthat_^.cur_r,en.tly _ t her e ***are**ffyn o^BPexjTst: i n g government^standards or requirement for this" Theyadsp jf_ee_l__tjhat_thi^e departmental requirement should implement a "grandfather" -proviVfon. Many of .the signees have been satisfied customers for many years, they do not want to lose their class. Dee Lundquist CC: craude'"Bud "'Cewiw Margaret Stanton ' Julie Nygaard Ramona Finnila Ann Kulchin Ray Patchett David Castner Tony Lawson Cindy Ward Courtney Heineman Robert Holmes Gary Cox David Bradstreet Doug Duncanson Ken Price Sue Spickard Gail Watts Jim Bradshaw John Strayer EEOC r 015 EXHIBIT 2 WE THE UNDERSIGNED DO HEREBY PETITION THE. CITY OF CARLSBAD PARKS AND RECREATION-^DEPARTMENT~.^TO^^RE-EVALUATE^14'.AND"|^ELIMI^ATE THE DEPARTMENTAL ORDER"'REQUIRING AEROBICS *INSTR^m VIA*THE*"ORGANIZATION"REFERRED TO"'AS 'NDEiT'A!".*W"* "^••^•^••wsws EVALUATION OF THE WRITTEN CLASS MATERIAL PROVIDED BY NDEITA WE FIND IT TO BE COSTLY AND POORLY WRITTEN. WE FIND IT TO BE DIFFICULT IF NOT IMPOSSIBLE FOR THE AVERAGE NON-MEDICAL STUDENT TO MASTER IN A PERIOD OF 30 DAYS OR LESS. WE THE UNDERSIGNED CHALLENGE THE DEPARTMENTS DECISION TO REQUIRE THIS AS TERMS OF EMPLOYMENT FOR AEROBICS INSTRUCTORS. THIS REQUIREMENT IS NOT UNIVERSAL THROUGHOUT THE OTHER PHYSICAL CLASSES OFFERED BY THE CITY OF CARLSBAD (KARATE, SWIMMING, GOLF, DANCING, ETC.). THE CARLSBAD DIRECTION REQUIRING CERTIFICATION AND YEARLY RE-CERTIFICATION APPEARS TO BE A FORM OF HARASSMENT DIRECTED TOWARD AEROBICS INSTRUCTORS. IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT THIS REQUIREMENT FOR CERTIFICATION APPEARS TO BE LIMITED AND GENERATED BY THE CITY OF CARLSBAD. THIS CONDITION IS NOT REQUIRED IN OTHER LOCAL TOWNS OR HEALTH ORGANIZATIONS. IT IS OUR OPINION THAT THE ONLY CERTIFICATION REQUIRED SHOULD BE CPR. IT SHOULD ALSO BE NOTED THAT SUPERVISORS OR AUDITORS OF AEROBICS CLASSES OR AEROBIC INSTRUCTORS ARE NOT REQUIRED TO BE CERTIFIED. MANY OF THE CURRENT CARLSBAD AEROBICS INSTRUCTORS HAVE RECEIVED THEIR TRAINING FROM NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED HEALTH ORGANIZATIONS AND HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN THE ART OF AEROBIC INSTRUCTION FOR PERIODS OF TIME UP TO OR EXCEEDING 20 YEARS. THESE INSTRUCTORS HAVE COMPILED EXTENSIVE HISTORY OF SATISFIED CUSTOMERS WITH POSITIVE RESULTS AND ZERO COMPLAINTS OR INJURIES. WE THE UNDERSIGNED DO HEREBY PETITION THE CITY OF CARLSBAD TO REMOVE THIS COSTLY UNNECESSARY REQUIREMENT. NAME ADDRESS j£'^2c0i*t.-,(?&• QA&S4 c. /2 13 / 1 ll. C^ldJJfc t, CkJt 55• /- ,T / T 017 December 28, 1993 TO: ASSISTANT TO THE CITY VIA: Recreation Superintendent FROM: Recreation Supervisor II REQUEST FOR ACTION - DEE LUNDQUIST BACKGROUND In October of 1993 the Parks & Recreation Department initiated a requirement that all Aerobics and Step-Aerobics Instructors contracted with the City be certified in Aerobics and/or Step-Aerobics by any nationally recognized fitness organization. This requirement was established to ensure a standard of care would be provided by all seven independent contract aerobics instructors who will provide Aerobics/Step-Aerobics classes in 1994. RECOMMENDATION In order to ensure a standard of care and safety for all aerobics participants staff is recommending to continue the Aerobic/Step-Aerobics certification for all Aerobics/Step- Aerobics Instructors. DISCUSSION Two issues/concerns were addressed in Mrs. Lundquist's letter. Each item will be discussed below. 1. The instructor and class feel that the certification process through NDEITA is costly ($200+) and is a form of harassment because no other instructors who teach physical routines in their classes are required to have certifications. On October 18, 1993 a letter explaining the certificate requirements was sent to all 1993 Independent Contract Instructors who teach Aerobic/Step-Aerobics for the City. The letter clearly states that the certification for aerobics can be from any nationally recognized association or organization. Sixty days notice was given to each instructor. A National Dance Exercise Instructors Training Association (NDEITA) brochure was included as a courtesy, as it is one of the less expensive ($155) national certifications provided in Southern California. Mrs. Lundquist could have researched the other fitness organizations (ACE AFFA, ACSM) available to her. This requirement was instituted to ensure that all Aerobics/Step-Aerobics contract instructors provide a safe environment for a cardiovascular and muscular workout. National fitness organizations/associations were chosen as the certifying agencies in that they follow the standards established by the American College of Sports Medicine in 1991. These standards provide a safe aerobic workout and act as an industry standard. An aerobics certification is "a requirement for employment" by most private fitness studios, corporations and spas. A knowledge of exercise physiology is imperative to ensure a safe and healthy workout for participants of all ages. EXHIBIT 3 Staff does not identify this certification as a form of harassment. In fact, a number of our other instructors are required to hold certificates. A perfect example is swimming lesson instructors. They are currently required to hold the following certificates before teaching for the City: • Red Cross Professional Rescue CPR• Red Cross First Aid (36 hours training) required by Title 22 (renewed every 2 years) • Red Cross Lifeguard Training (renewed every 3 years) • Red Cross Water Safety Instruction (42 hour course, renewed every 2 years) The approximate cost of this training is more than $400.00 and again, it is required to ensure that a standard of care and safety be maintained. 2. The aerobics certification requirement should have a "grandfather" provision and that only CPR should be required annually. A grandfather provision would work in direct conflict with the reason for the certification. It should be noted that Mrs. Lundquist provided the City with NDEITA Aerobics Certificate and CPR Certification on 12/13/93, meeting the requirements for contracting in 1994 and therefore; a grandfather provision will not be necessary. CPR is required so that in case of an emergency the lifesaving technique can be administered. Recertification for Aerobics and CPR on an annual basis ensures that the Aerobics/Step-Aerobics instructors are utilizing the most up-to-date information in an emerging field of fitness. An aerobics instructor who initiates recertification demonstrates a dedication to her/his profession as well as a concern for the utmost safety for her/his participants. CONCLUSION Staff believes that the statements in the attached letter/petition are both misinformed and inaccurate. Unfortunately neither the instructor or the participants informed the department of their concerns prior to this letter. Staff has met with the instructor and a basis of understanding has been met in regards to the City's Aerobics Certification requirements. Mrs. Lundquist will continue to contract with the City in 1994. GAIL WAI /kk Atttachments 019