In what can only be described as a sweeping reversal, a new partnership was announced between the City of Jacksonville Beach and the Volunteer Life Saving Corps.
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Action News Jax first told you in April of 2022 that after 110 years of serving the community, the VLSC was told that its agreement with the city would end.
Since than, a back-and-fourth between both parties has taken place.
On Mar. 9, 2022, the city sent a nine-month notice to the VLSC about the end of the agreement, giving the city exclusive use of the lifeguard station and its equipment.
Then on Apr. 5, 2022, before the nine months were up, Jacksonville Beach’s city manager sent a letter to the VLSC’s board of directors accusing VLSC members of “disruptive and unprofessional” behavior.
The pinnacle of this war of words came in the lawsuit that the VLSC filed against the City of Jacksonville Beach on Apr. 14, 2022, seeming to doom any repair to the relationship.
But cooler heads prevail.
The breaking news came on Thursday as the agreement details to how the Jacksonville Beach Ocean Rescue and the VLSC will form a new working relationship to best provide lifesaving services to residents and visitors, 365 days a year.
As stated in a new press release sent by the City of Jacksonville Beach:
The agreement will be brought before the Jacksonville Beach City Council on Monday, April 17. If the agreement is approved, the VLSC will withdraw its pending lawsuit against the City and resume services in tandem with JBOR starting Memorial Day, Monday, May 29, and continuing on Sundays and holidays.
The historic lifesaving station will remain on the historic registry and be used by both organizations for operations, trainings, and meetings.
As for what the mayor of Jacksonville Beach had to say:
“It took a lot of time and effort to re-imagine this relationship, and I’m thankful to everyone who rolled up their sleeves to make it happen,” Mayor Chris Hoffman said. “This is a new era between the two organizations and with it, a new opportunity to grow and work, together.”
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“This agreement, most importantly, serves the safety interests of residents and visitors while honoring the traditions of excellence and professionalism from JBOR and VLSC,” says Jim Emery, President of the VLSC Board of Directors. “We look forward to continuing our 112-year history of services and the 90+-year-old relationship between both of these exceptional organizations.”
Read the proposed agreement between COJB and VLSC in the agenda packet below:
