Palm Beach County moves Ocean Rescue under Fire Rescue and approves $8.1 million transition package

The Palm Beach County Board of County Commissioners voted unanimously to move Ocean Rescue operations, staff, vehicles and equipment from the Parks & Recreation Department into Palm Beach County Fire Rescue and approved a funding package to support the transition.

Division Chief Philip Olivieri told the board the consolidation is intended to create a unified emergency response along the county’s coastline, improve radio and medical protocol interoperability and streamline incident communications. "The proposal today is to transfer ocean rescue operations, the staff, the vehicles and equipment, over to fire rescue so we can have a unified emergency response along our coastlines," Olivieri said.

Why it matters: County staff said the reorganization will allow Ocean Rescue to operate under Fire Rescue’s radio and medical protocols, standardize patient-care reporting and expand training. Staff asked the board to approve $8,100,000 to fund nine months of personnel and operating expenses (including $700,000 from contingency and $295,000 from fleet transfers) and an additional $127,000 in capital transfers for watercraft and tower repairs.

Parks Director Jennifer Cirillo emphasized that the public should not see a change in service levels at lifeguard towers: "To the public, they will see no change in service," she said, noting Ocean Rescue will remain visible at existing beach sites and continue collaborating with Fire Rescue.

Board members pressed staff on long-term funding and staffing. Vice Mayor Woodward asked whether future funding would fall to the Fire Rescue MSTU (municipal service taxing unit) and whether Fire Rescue personnel could be used interchangeably with Ocean Rescue staff. Staff replied that ongoing funding would be provided via a general fund transfer each year and that current Florida Retirement System (FRS) and union rules constrain interchangeability between full-time firefighter positions and Ocean Rescue lifeguard jobs. Staff also said Ocean Rescue is authorized for 112 positions and is currently staffed at just under 100.

The vote: Commissioner Flores moved to approve the funding transfer and reorganization; the motion carried 6–0. Staff will implement the fund transfers and begin the administrative steps described in the presentation.

Next steps: The board’s approval authorizes the transfers described by staff; administration will execute the budget transfers and implement training, scheduling and equipment changes for the remainder of the fiscal year.