28-01-2025
PCB Beach Safety is gearing up for the spring break season
BAY COUNTY, Fla. (WMBB) – Spring break season is approaching. While typically regarded as one of Panama City Beach's busiest times of the year, beach safety officials say Panama City Beach has become more of a year-round destination.
Safety director Daryl Paul said they rescued 4-people from rip currents in December and January. So, they're expanding the season from March 1st to beyond December 1st.
The Beach Safety team is already in the process of getting the lifeguard team fully staffed and trained for spring break.
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'We do all of our training in-house, whether it's medical or EMR or CPR training or lifeguard training the lifeguard training is about 40 hour course. It's a lot of time in the water, a lot of time in the classroom, and then you move on to like a 48-hour EMR training course, which is our medical portion, to be able to equip you to be able to respond to a medical emergency,' says Safety Director Daryl Paul.
That training won't start until applicants complete an in-person interview and a 500-meter swim in 10 minutes or less.
They're still trying to fill four lifeguard positions before March 1st.
Another priority is getting their fleet ready.
'We put our ATV'S and our side by sides up on a lift, and we strip the plastics off and we do any kind of rust, rehab, or any kind of repairs we can do in-house so that on the first day of the season on March 1st when we need to be out there, day one ready to go, everything just rolls out real smooth and we can assure an efficient operation,' says Paul.
The lifeguards also undergo ATV training and many have recently gotten their jet skis certification.
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'With the jet skis, that's going to be a more advanced skill. And so now we'll be able to utilize those for the 2025 season a little more than in previous seasons,' added Paul.
Paul says the key to successfully keeping Panama City Beach's 9.6 miles safe, is prevention.
Lifeguards are encouraged to personally inform every beach patron about rip tides, marine life, and more.
To become a Panama City Beach lifeguard, find instructions here.
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