BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. — Three beaches in Cocoa Beach will be without seasonal lifeguard towers after the City of Cocoa Beach backs out of paying its contribution to Brevard County for lifeguard services, according to a news release from Brevard Commissioner John Tobia.
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Beginning on Saturday, the City of Cocoa Beach will no longer have seasonal lifeguard towers at three of its beaches, including the Cocoa Beach Pier, Shephard Park, and Tulip Avenue.
According to the release, since the contracts with municipalities were last revised in FY2010-11, “Brevard County has paid for 100% of full-time tower costs and a varying percentage of seasonal tower costs, typically around 74%, for the City of Cocoa Beach’s lifeguard services.”
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On March 7, the City of Cocoa Beach voted to not pay Brevard County $89,659 toward seasonal lifeguard services.
Since the city did not wish to renew its agreement with the county, seasonal lifeguard services will no longer be provided at its beaches as we head into Spring Break.
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“We’re actually going to have lifeguards still there - the full-time lifeguards, all those locations will have them - minus, you know, one of two lifeguards in each location,” said Cocoa Beach Mayor Keith Capizzi.
According to the release, the $89,659 is 6.4% of the total cost for seasonal and full-time lifeguard services on the City’s beaches, which totaled $1,401,799 in FY2023-24.
Capizzi also told Eyewitness News that what the county and city had was not a contract, it was an agreement of mutual understanding, and it has been and still should be the responsibility of the county to cover lifeguard services.
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Commissioner Tobia’s news release went on to state:
“The City of Cocoa Beach continues to publicly shirk its responsibility of public safety on its beaches for tourists and residents alike. Clearly, the Mayor and the majority of the City Commission are more concerned with the vanity of their own image than the protection of human life. Brevard County continues to prioritize public safety, and will fully staff Brevard County beaches, despite not charging for parking.”
“We will be putting no lifeguard signs and swim at your own risk at those ones,” Capizzi added. “But also, we still will be reactive with our firefighters as well. All our firefighters are lifeguard certified to the highest level.”
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