Panama City Beach implements strict double red flag policy to improve water safety

PANAMA CITY BEACH, Fla. ( WMBB ) – The Panama City Beach City Council members continue to search for ways to enhance beach safety.

They approved a change to the double red flag law on Thursday morning. That change will most likely result in a lot more citations for double red flag violators.

The Panama City Beach City council has approved an ordinance that will allow offices to issue $500 fines to those swimming on double red flag days.

They don’t even have to give them a warning first, as long as they can prove the person was told about the water being closed. Previously, the officer would give out a warning, with the citation coming if the person re-entered the water.

“What happens is when that beach and surf truck comes by and you have people in the water they get out for a second, they get that warning. But when that truck goes down the beach and it’s out of sight right back in the water so you have people that are just going to disobey the rules no matter what,” Panama City Beach Ward 2 Councilman Ethan Register said.

The council will also move forward with other ideas including a new ambassador program and installing public rescue tubes.

Councilman Ethan Register is spearheading the new ambassador program that will include training beach vendors to educate the public about the flag system and water safety. He says the program can help with the new double red flag ordinance.

“It gives us somebody on site right there that if they’re going to break the law, they’re going to do it right in front of that individual. It’s a lot, a lot more cumbersome for them to do that. It’s a lot more, you know, in your face that I’m doing this. But it also gives that code enforcement officer or beach safety people or law enforcement officer to say, hey, have you talked to these people? Yes, sir. I have absolutely talked to those people already. And we can go ahead and issue that citation because they have been warned,” Register said.

The council will continue discussing public rescue tubes, or PRTs. The Rotary Club of Panama City has offered to completely fund the pilot program, installing the tubes near 5 to 10 beach access points.

“Those things are out there past 6:00. So when our beach and surf gets home to get much-needed and valuable rest, they’re out there past 6:00,” Register said.

The council will have one more reading of the new ordinances. They hope to have it take effect by next year.

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