Fort Myers Beach staff report increased LCSO patrols, bridge lights restored; fire district describes water‑main response

Fort Myers Beach — At the Public Safety Committee meeting on Jan. 23, town and public-safety staff reported stepped-up law-enforcement patrols on the island, new traffic-post rangers and restored bridge lighting. The fire district outlined how it responded to a December water-main outage and how mutual-aid water tenders and on-site truck tanks are used when hydrants are unavailable.

Thomas Shazzo, compliance and security manager for Fort Myers Beach, said Lee County Sheriff’s Office increased patrols and town rangers have been posted to traffic locations to help keep vehicles moving and protect pedestrians. He told committee members that bridge lights that had gone dark during recent digging and repair work have come back on since the last meeting.

Lieutenant Chitwood of the Lee County Sheriff’s Office said planning is under way for increased presence during spring break and for permitted events such as the Shrimp Fest parade; he encouraged early permit submissions so enforcement and traffic planning can be coordinated.

Scott Worth, representing the fire district, described call-volume trends and the district’s response to a December water-main break that temporarily shut water service on the island. “We bring a couple trucks together, get 1,500 gallons of water,” Worth said, describing how two engines’ onboard tanks and mutual-aid tenders were used to provide water when hydrants were unavailable. He said the district coordinates with public works and mutual-aid partners to ensure pumps, tenders and staging are organized for firefighting and emergency response.

Committee members also discussed traffic-incident access problems on the bridge and a recent accident that blocked lanes and hampered first responders. Fire and county staff reiterated that county-level preemption systems and the ability to change bridge lane assignments are being pursued to improve emergency vehicle access.

Why it matters: Increased enforcement and traffic-management posts are intended to reduce pedestrian and bicycle conflicts during busy periods; fire-department mutual-aid plans and staging practices address the island’s limited hydrant infrastructure and water-supply constraints.

Sources: Remarks by Thomas Shazzo (compliance and security manager), Lieutenant Chitwood (Lee County Sheriff’s Office) and Scott Worth (Fort Myers Beach Fire District) at the Fort Myers Beach Public Safety Committee meeting on Jan. 23.