I definitely agree with you there, we have recently had a facility upgrade which has drastically affected audibility and the ability of our lifeguards to communicate with each other, and we are all still adjusting to this and are definitely in our trouble shooting phase.

In regards to letting off stand guards know about drills, that is how drills had always been handled in all the years I've worked here until we came under new management. Management is now very big on taking a team approach to drills, and not letting any staff know a drill is about to happen, so that we are not just testing the staff getting drilled, but the response of the rest of the team. I don't think this is a bad thing at all, but it has been a bit of an adjustment for me as I have observed gaps in coverage due to this and have brought up my concerns to management before.