No Beach Flags

[Matt J]

Okay seriously, raise your hand if you are going in the water today. This makes sense to me as everybody complains about government waste. The county goes and makes a decision to not send out fire fighters in a truck to change the flags along 19 miles of beaches when no one in their right mind is going in the water. Seriously if you're going to ignore the temperature are you really going to pay attention to the flags?

Anybody care to guess what it costs the county to have firefighters and the truck go to each flag 2 times a day?

 

[Beach Runner]

Okay seriously, raise your hand if you are going in the water today. This makes sense to me as everybody complains about government waste. The county goes and makes a decision to not send out fire fighters in a truck to change the flags along 19 miles of beaches when no one in their right mind is going in the water. Seriously if you're going to ignore the temperature are you really going to pay attention to the flags?

Anybody care to guess what it costs the county to have firefighters and the truck go to each flag 2 times a day?

My nephews will be in the water. Seriously.

But I see your point, too.

 

[Matt J]

My nephews will be in the water. Seriously.

But I see your point, too.

Oh I don't doubt that, when we were little my sister couldn't pass a body of water without getting in. No matter how cold it was.

My point was more budgetary than anything. Everybody's freaking over the county budget and this comes up. If you've ever seen the fire department changing flags it's never less than 2 fire fighters and they are driving either the ladder or the engine truck. I don't understand why this job doesn't fall to a certain employee who doesn't have any lifeguards to monitor during the winter. :scratch:

 

[John R]

If the county is trying to save money in the off-season, maybe there should be a new flag that indicates that surf conditions are not being monitored, so swim at your own risk?

The argument that it's okay because people ignore the flags since they have become accustomed to them is just ludicrous IMO.

that would be the black flag.

so, we need to save money because we are in off season. Is all our lodging sitting at 0% occ? what happens when one tourist drowns and the remaining family feels like they're due compensation because one of them went to the beach and took a photo of the flag rating sign with an empty flagpole in the background? we want the tourists here all the time right? are we going to turn off the beach next?

one person in a pickup could probably do the flag job.

 

[SHELLY]

Oh I don't doubt that, when we were little my sister couldn't pass a body of water without getting in. No matter how cold it was.

My point was more budgetary than anything. Everybody's freaking over the county budget and this comes up. If you've ever seen the fire department changing flags it's never less than 2 fire fighters and they are driving either the ladder or the engine truck. I don't understand why this job doesn't fall to a certain employee who doesn't have any lifeguards to monitor during the winter. :scratch:

Better yet, just hang a black skull & crossbones flag up and send notification throughout the area that beaches are closed to swimmers until "flag season" starts up again.

 

[wrobert]

Can anyone else make sense of this move? Anyone from the SWFD seeing this post? Someone explain it to me, if you can. People can drown in the off season just as easily as the tourist season. Do you really think we should make it even easier?

Winter tourists are smarter and more capable swimmers?

 

[Creeklover]

Maybe someone from SWFD fire board or the TDC could explain this.

The Someone who does not have lifegards to watch could not possible change 26 miles of flags in a timley manner. Could he??

When SWFD changes the Flags they send 3 Fire Engines and 2 Ladder Trucks With a Min. of 3 firefighters on each and 4 EMS Units with 2 firefighters on it. and it still takes about 1 hour for this. I received this from a friend at SWFD

It would make more sence for WCSO Beach units to change them as they can drive the beaches and change them in a lot less time than a fire truck driving the road and walking to the beach.

 

[Matt J]

Maybe someone from SWFD fire board or the TDC could explain this.

The Someone who does not have lifegards to watch could not possible change 26 miles of flags in a timley manner. Could he??

When SWFD changes the Flags they send 3 Fire Engines and 2 Ladder Trucks With a Min. of 3 firefighters on each and 4 EMS Units with 2 firefighters on it. and it still takes about 1 hour for this. I received this from a friend at SWFD

It would make more sence for WCSO Beach units to change them as they can drive the beaches and change them in a lot less time than a fire truck driving the road and walking to the beach.

Why stop there, the TDC runs the beach every morning too. So many vehicles and no one with the time to change flags?

 

[scooterbug44]

Don't forget the sehriff is also cruisingth beach in the little ATV or in the pick-ups

 

[tistheseason]

This is crazy! I understand the finances behind it -- but I think they are better ways to adjust that than to do away with the program all together. If the flags aren't consistantly there than you loose the ability to rely on them!