In a matter of weeks, our world has fundamentally changed. The threat of COVID-19, a virus lacking a cure and reducing medicine to managing symptoms, demonstrates a magnified threat to communities such as Longboat Key, where the population averages 70 years old.

An afternoon swim on Longboat Key quickly turned into a dangerous situation when two children and an adult were swept into a rip current off of New Pass on south Longboat Key.

Longboat Key’s $5.895 million plan to construct a new South fire station and renovate its north station appears to be about on budget according to estimates. 

Voters will be asked to approve $5.895 million in bonds during the March election this year.

Chief Paul Dezzi introduced Lt. Brian Carr and Firefighter Ron Koper who presented the 45-minute class that they have provided to more than 700 Longboat Key residents in the past 18 months.

“Our goal is for people to do something before we get there with ambulances.”

All it takes is one catastrophe for things to change on Longboat Key, and then the liability meter goes through the roof.

In this instance, at this moment in time, something that is critical is under a threat from our own Town Commission.

The recent tussle in the Fire Department that we all experienced as an episode of ‘Deputy Chiefs Gone Wild’ while the Chief was on vacation had less to do with the events of that particular week and more to do with ongoing and systemic dissatisfaction over pay and compensation within the department.

The Longboat Key Fire Department and Public Works Department have been working on ‘Operation Emergency Access’ since January 2013, and the project to clear all roadways to access residences on the island is now complete. The first phase of the project began by driving the entire key assessing all streets for emergency accessibility.  Pictures were […]