Dania Beach Problem

DennisS · Sep 14, 2005

Dania Beach, is proposing contracting of their lifeguard services to the same company that does Hallandale Beach-------No going past the buoys! It's a money saving idea not a safety idea. They want to replace their city lifeguards with a contracting company. Some of the Dania lifeguards are paramedics and EMTs, they would be replaced by $10 an hour guards with a cpr card.

Dania's beachgoers are concerned because Ellis' company policy is to keep all swimmers within boundaries that are designated by buoys.

They say the beach attracts pier fishermen, scuba divers, surfers and others who spend time outside those boundaries.

At a workshop in August, Jeff Ellis explained that to save lives at Dania's beach, swim zones would be designated so that lifeguards can reach their victims within three minutes using water scooters and rescue boards.

He said that lifeguards would not leave their zones unattended to save
someone who was not following the rules.

"We are going to do everything in our power to not let anyone swim outside of the zones," said Bethany Gilley, a swimming program manager
with Jeff Ellis & Associates.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/lo...0,5166253.story

That really gets me angry, I moved to Dania so I could be 5 minutes from a good shore diving spot. Now some company from texas is roping off the ocean to make it easy for their contracted lifeguards.

Mayor Ann Castro acastro@ci.dania-beach.fl.us
Vice Mayor Patricia Flury pflury@ci.dania-beach.fl.us
Commisioner Robert Antonbanton@ci.dania-beach.fl.us
Commisioner John Bertino jbertino@ci.dania-beach.fl.us

If you like diving off of Dania and want to continue to do so I suggest you let these people know how you feel.

Walter · Sep 14, 2005

Is that a company policy or a city ordinance? If it's a company policy, you can ignore it. If it's an ordinance, it's a law the city has no business passing.

DennisS · Sep 14, 2005

I'm sure if the company is awarded the contract it will have no problem getting their contract operating details passed into the city ordinance.

Patricia Flury would be the person to contact on that.

DennisW · Sep 14, 2005

Anything lower than the high tide mark is Federal and therefore public property. The Dania City Council would not have jurisdiction. At least that is my understanding.

DennisS · Sep 14, 2005

It comes down to access, if they prohibit scuba diving from their beach, you can't enter from their beach. If they prohibit launching or landing kayaks, you can't kayak. If they prohibit surfing, you can't surf.

Scuba_Jenny · Sep 14, 2005

Yikes. Will contact those listed.

SFLDiver · Sep 14, 2005

If you write to the above names, you -might- want to mention some stats on economic impacts of scuba diving, specifically how much $$$$$$ we bring in.

From the helpful NOAA ....
Natural and Artificial Reef Valuation - Southeast Florida
http://marineeconomics.noaa.gov/Reefs/sefl1.html

within the report at
http://marineeconomics.noaa.gov/Reefs/02-01.pdf
states:

Table ES-4
Economic Contribution of Reef-Related Expenditures to Each County
June 2000 to May 2001 Residents and Visitors

Broward County natural and artificial reefs
Sales $2,069,000,000
Income $1,049,000,000
(yes, billions)

and the dive industry in Broward alone provides jobs to some 36,000 persons.

Now, if they want to partake in this industry, we wholeheartedly welcome them.
If they choose to ignore and block these funds by prohibitive beach regulations,
we will be obligated to publicize their choice of making beaches off limits,
and to recommend the scuba industry to take their tourist dollars elsewhere.

olddiver2 · Sep 14, 2005

DennisS:
Dania Beach, is proposing contracting of their lifeguard services to the same company that does Hallandale Beach-------No going past the buoys! It's a money saving idea not a safety idea. They want to replace their city lifeguards with a contracting company. Some of the Dania lifeguards are paramedics and EMTs, they would be replaced by $10 an hour guards with a cpr card.

Dania's beachgoers are concerned because Ellis' company policy is to keep all swimmers within boundaries that are designated by buoys.

I may have wrong information, but a lifeguard, who said he was with the Hollywood Fire Department, and was stationed in the guard stand near the south end of the Dania Beach parking area told me I could enter south of the guard stand because that was Hollywood, or I could enter a few hundred feet north of the pier because that was Hollywood, but I could not enter with SCUBA between those points because that was Dania, and they restrict diving. He said the city boundries were not continuous along the beach. That was reflected in the way the old Dive Area signs were worded and placed.

Regardless, I will probably try to get to the jacks via Lloyd State Park next time I go. Does anyone know if the state park prohibits diving? The white and brown sign on the beach at the south boundry of the park and north of the pier makes a big deal out of tresspassing, i.e. avoiding admission fees.

Scuba_Jenny · Sep 14, 2005

Entry to the jacks used to be from the first parking lot at John Lloyd State Park. But for over a year now (two summers) they have been removing invasive plants and the aforementioned parking lot and beach is closed.

Scubaguy62 · Sep 14, 2005

If the company is contracted by the city, they are agents of the city. As such, the city dictates the policies. And for those policies to become ordinances, they must be voted on by city officials; these are public hearings that afford public imput before a vote is taken. Ellis just can't go and make up their own policies.

he said that lifeguards would not leave their zones unattended to save
someone who was not following the rules.

This means that if you leave attended zone, you're assuming the risk, which is a legal defense to a claim of negligence.

Bottom line, unless the City of Dania absolves all diving privileges, diving cannot be denied, only restricted as to entry points, the same as it is in Deerfield Beach.

Dania Beach Problem

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