BAY COUNTY, Fla. (WJHG/WECP) – Bay County Tourist Development Council members said they are offering resources to keep more people safe on the beach.
TDC Chairman Clair Pease said members are brainstorming ways they can increase safety.
“The TDC is really going over and beyond what they are required to do,” Pease said. Because they know it is a problem and we are bringing guests here and we want to keep them safe when they get here.”
Tuesday council members agreed to open up what they call the Third Penny which would offer about 600,000 dollars for public safety.
“The State of Florida has a law that says the TDC can give up to and only up to 10 percent of each penny toward public safety,” Pease said.
According to officials, the money is excess beach renourishment funds. The beach renourishments projects have been completed and officials said they feel the additional money could better serve other areas.
Currently, there are about nine full-time and 6 part-time Panama City Beach lifeguards, Bay County has about 17. Together the lifeguards patrol about 18 miles of beach.
Panama City Beach Safety Director Daryl Paul said he has seen first-hand the importance of swimming near a lifeguard and said more could save more lives.
“The industry standard is going to be a lifeguard every eighth of a mile that’s just what other agencies found works for the beach open water not all agencies can meet that standard or even maintain that standard,” Paul said. “It is not like and OSHA or NFPA or USLA standard, it is just as all the agencies collaborate and learn from each other that’s just the staffing levels that we found works the best.”
The possibility of the 600,000 dollars going to public safety is only in the beginning stages and has not yet been finalized. It must be approved by Bay County Commissioners to move forward.
If the third penny agenda item passes Pease said it will be up to public safety officials to decide exactly how the funds will be used.
“They can hire lifeguards, they can buy equipment for lifeguards, they can buy equipment for the sheriff’s department, the fire department,” Pease said. “It is up to them to decide to see where the need is and how to spend the money.”
Bay County officials expect the item to go before commissioners in August. If approved the TDC’s allocation to public safety will go from 2.66 million to 3.25 million.
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