Services

Prevention Services

Okaloosa County lifeguards work hard to educate beach goers about the hazards of swimming in the Gulf of Mexico and enjoying the beach parks. From teaching the importance of recognizing and following the Flag Warning System, community CPR and Learn To Swim Programs, to explaining the rules of the Okaloosa County Beach Ordinances, our lifeguards view prevention and education as the most important part of the job. 

Responding to emergencies is an important role of lifeguards, but lifeguards more than any other providers of public safety, have an ongoing responsibility for accident prevention. Prevention is the primary role of Okaloosa Beach Safety lifeguards.


Please visit the Beach Safety Awareness page to find out how to schedule a beach safety presentation.
                                              
                                                                                      An Okaloosa lifeguard teaches beach patrons
                                                                                                                                                                           how to identify a rip current .

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Lifeguard Services

Okaloosa Beach Safety is responsible for all lifesaving on Okaloosa Isalnd. Okaloosa Island is approximately seven miles long east to west and is bisected by the Okaloosa Fishing pier which extends 500 meters into the Gulf of Mexico. The pier divides the beach into east and west areas of responsibility that are four and three miles long respectively. There are over fifty condominiums, hotels and private residences and seven public accessways maintained by Okaloosa County Parks and Recreation. woven between them on the west side f the pier. The east side is configured similarly but with only two publi accessways at major county parks complete with boardwalks, shower facilities, restaurants and voluminous parking. These parks are visited by thousands of beach goers daily during the summer. Further to the east are vast areas of open, undeveloped and unguarded beaches with numerous public accessways and foot paths from the highway to the water. Okaloosa Island beaches are visited by close to one million people annually and it is estimated that over 75% of them enter the Gulf at some point during their visit. In 2008, the lifeguard service rescued 201 people from Gulf waters and documented over 18,500 preventative actions. These statistics highlight the need for a highly efficient lifeguard system to answer calls for service and conduct preventative operations. Lifeguard coverage extends West from the Destin Pass to the Emerald Promenade Beach Walk on Okaloosa Island and at James Lee Park in Destin. 


(View from Tower 0)

Okaloosa Beach Safety operates under a Tower 0 system in which all lifeguard operations and communications go to the Main Tower (Tower 0) on the Okaloosa Island Fishing Pier.

 From the vantage point atop the pier looking back at the beach, the Main Tower operator can see everything from one end of the response area to the other. As a result, the operator has real-time visual as well as radio information to aid in the decision-making process. In this way a decision on the allocation of preventative and lifesaving resources can be based on all of the available information. 
 

The tower serves all of the beaches on Okaloosa Island as well as boaters near shore and in the Destin Pass. Residents and visitors, who visit Okaloosa Island beaches, whether at a guarded park or an open unguarded beach, will be under the watchful eye of the Main Tower operator. Boaters near shore will also be observed. Should a problem develop in any of these areas, help can be dispatched immediately.


(Tower 0, on fishing pier)

Beach Wheelchairs

The provision of beach wheelchairs to handicapped beach patrons is an important function of Okaloosa Beach Safety. Okaloosa County Beach Safety will make every effort to ensure that beach wheelchairs are distributed to those in need. Wheelchairs are provided free of charge.

Okaloosa Beach Safety maintains 4 Beach wheelchairs that will be distributed on a first come first served basis. Reservations will not be taken in advance.

Beach wheelchairs will be available during our normal hours of operation  and must be returned by 17:00 daily. They  may not be left with beach vendors or  kept overnight in hotels or condominiums – NO EXCEPTIONS unless otherwise approved by the Chief of Beach Safety or Lifeguard Supervisor.

If you are interested in using a beach wheelchair you will need to contact the Ocean West operator and provide them with information on your location, and the time you would like to have the beach wheelchair delivered to you, (between 0900 and 1700).

The Ocean West Operator on duty can be reached between 0900-1700 by calling (850)-259-4131

Upon delivery of the beach wheelchair, the delivering lifeguard will obtain a drivers license or some other form of picture identification from you, and you will need to complete the Beach Wheelchair User Information Form. 

 IDs and user information will be kept at the nearest staffed lifeguard tower until the wheelchair is recovered from the user. Wheelchairs will not be provided to those without identification and contact information. 

All wheelchairs will be recovered by 1700 hours daily. 
 

Swiftwater/Flood rescue services

In 2006, the Okaloosa Beach Safety Division absorbed the Okaloosa County Joint Swift Water Rescue Taskforce. County lifeguards, EMTs, Paramedics, Firefighters, and Sheriff’s Deputies continue to work together in this unit to respond to local and regional flood and swift water disasters. 

Today, the Taskforce is a fully operational public safety asset operating on a regional level in response to flood disasters, lost or missing persons in wilderness situations, and search and rescue events in and around bodies of moving water. The majority of the Taskforce's work is done in local rivers and watershed areas, however, high levels mobility and self sustainability allow responses hundreds of miles from the main base of operation in North Okaloosa County. 

All swift water/flood rescue staff are trained by Rescue 3 International to Operations and Technician levels. Continuous monthly training in local and regional rivers keep operators sharp and capable in many different types of terrain and waterways. High levels of technical skill as well as physical and mental fitness are necessary to perform rescues and evacuations in the swift water environment. Each member must maintain a constant ability to perform technical rope, boat based, shore based, and in water rescues.

 From March 2009 to March 2010, the Taskforce has responded to five separate incidents and has participated in the rescue and evacuation of 24 people from rising or surrounding flood waters in Okaloosa County.

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