Beach Patrol: 10 lifeguards to cover the entirety of Volusia County beaches
NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- Sera and I went to the beach this afternoon to shoot video of the beach driving situation -- the much-hyped changes that are supposed to lead to better safety. This experience is why I never assume anything and always "check it out."
It was an eye opener. We only saw one lifeguard as far as the eye could see in either direction near the Flagler Avenue approach. There were no brochures from the toll booth operator for motorists regarding new safety measures, and during the hour we were there, we saw no Volusia County Beach Patrol vehicles. As for the new ban on parking in front of three parks, motorists were not banned from parking on the beach in front of the Flagler Avenue park.
All of this begs the question: Are we getting real news from print media or simply the county government P.R.?
Don't get me wrong. I'm all for safety on the beach and many of the changes are for the better. But if you're going to require motorists to drive with their headlights on, have at least their driver's-side window down and refrain from texting or checking out apps on their cell phone other electronic gadgets, then you're going to need personnel.
Had anyone read the print newspapers over the last 72 hours -- they would have gotten the impression the county was at least getting the word out to the public through brochures, even if it takes a week or more for their ordinances to go through. Then again, I had trouble getting anyone from the county this afternoon or evening. In fact, I only got one official, the spokeswoman for the Beach Patrol and it was her day off.