New Marine Rescue Facility Now Open

Building will be headquarters for Marine Rescue, MSO Marine Unit

Manatee County Public Safety Department invites the public to a grand opening ceremony and tour of the new Marine Rescue Facility on Monday, Aug. 15 at 2 p.m. There will be a brief dedication ceremony followed by tours of the building and light refreshments.

The two-story, 8,800 square foot facility at 2651 Gulf Drive South in Bradenton Beach will serve as a headquarters and training station for Manatee County’s lifeguards. The Marine Unit of Manatee Sheriff’s Office will also operate out of the new building.

The storm-hardened building can withstand 130 mph winds and was built with a number of environment-friendly enhancements, such as:

• An attic space above offices is fully insulated, creating a conditioned space for air handler units;
• Low-emissivity glass was used on all doors and glass to improve thermal efficiency;
• Highly reflective metal was placed on the roof;
• All pervious parking and drive areas were constructed with shell and brick pavers;
• LED exterior lighting.

The facility can accommodate six ATVs, two personal watercraft vessels, two 4 x 4 pickup trucks and MSO watercraft. A shore power connection will enable the building to power an EMS unit.

Marine Rescue Chief Jay Moyles said the new building is a professional facility that will accommodate the professional lifeguards and law enforcement officers who work there. Florida Fish and Wildlife officials and U.S. Coast Guard officials may also use the building as a station to transfer accident victims or criminal suspects from the water to land.

"We tried to make this as professional a facility as possible to house the agencies that will be working out of it," Moyles said. "In the past we were literally working out of a bathroom, so this building is a thousand times better than what we called home."

The building was designed by Palmetto-based Ugarte and Associates and built by Palmetto-based Zirkelbach Construction.

For more information on the facility, call Jay Moyles at (941) 744-3956, ext. 8356. For more information on Manatee County Government, visit online at www.mymanatee.org or call (941) 748-4501.