On Independence Day, Americans gather at the beach to celebrate their nation’s birthday with sun, sand and coastal festivities.
For many first responders, the holiday is a time of vigilance on behalf of the public.
Bradenton Beach police Chief John Cosby June 26 said the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office would collaborate with Bradenton Beach and Holmes Beach to reinforce patrols July 4-7.
As with most holidays on AMI, first responders expect crowded beaches, traffic congestion and parking crunches.
Cosby said in Bradenton Beach people will be able to park at Cortez Beach, as well as Coquina. Parking at Cortez Beach was taken up by construction equipment and resident parking in connection with a sewer project that began in January 2023 but that wrapped up in June.
“Come early. Parking is limited even though we have the extra spaces back. It will still be crowded,” Cosby said.
He asked for patience and emphasized adherence to parking regulations, as a $75 fine is imposed for illegally parking in a state right of way.
Cosby also cautioned people to be vigilant in the water, advising adults to keep an eye on children and adhere to beach flag warnings. Manatee County has lifeguards at Coquina and Manatee Public beaches.
“Educate yourself before you come out as to what a riptide looks like,” Cosby said. “Be careful where you are swimming and, if you are caught in one, don’t swim against it, swim parallel to it.”
Cosby said Bradenton Beach code enforcement officer Evan Harbus will work with Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring to ensure the safety of nesting turtles and shorebirds.
Extra law enforcement personnel are scheduled for all four days of the holiday in the city.
In Holmes Beach, Chief Bill Tokajer said extra officers would be staffed to monitor beaches and parking. He urged people to comply with regulations to avoid fines.
Tokajer said the HBPD is expecting high traffic based on numbers collected from license plate readers over Memorial Day weekend.
“Vehicles that entered the island over the two-day Memorial Day weekend amounted to just under 54,000 cars coming onto the island,” Tokajer said. “I would say July 4 is usually one of our busier weekends.”
He said people can visit the city’s website at holmesbeachfl.org to see a map of available parking. HBPD officers will hand out cards with a QR code that, when scanned, shows the city’s parking maps.
“We expect that it is going to be a busy four-day weekend,” Tokajer said. “Visitors must remember that we are in turtle season and the fireworks could be detrimental to sea turtles that are trying to nest.”
There are no permitted fireworks shows on the island and private fireworks are prohibited. Sparklers, smoke devices, party poppers, snappers and snakes are allowed but exploding, launching and projectile fireworks are illegal.
Tokajer also urged people to pack out their trash and be mindful of noise levels, emphasizing respect for residential areas.
As for the MCSO, which operates a substation in Anna Maria and contracts to provide law enforcement for the city, island patrols will be expanded and special response teams will be present, including horseback patrols on the beach and motorcycle units for traffic.
Also, county marine patrol units will be in the Gulf of Mexico and bay waters keeping a lookout for reckless and impaired boaters.
In addition, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission, in a June 24 news release, said its officers also will patrol waterways on Independence Day in Operation Dry Water.
The initiative involves volunteers and law enforcement personnel collaborating to educate boaters on safe boating practices at marinas and on the water.
The FWC will work to identify and remove impaired vessel operators as part of the holiday initiative.
Last year, FWC officers removed 94 impaired operators from Florida waterways during Operation Dry Water.
Meanwhile, West Manatee Fire Rescue is running a drowning awareness campaign with electronic signs near entrances to the island to remind people of dangers associated with water activities.
Fire marshal Randy Kwiatkowski told The Islander June 27 by text that the initiative has been running since spring break.