“ … a hometown community
approach with the intent of creating strong bonds with residents and visitors”
reads part of the mission statement for the City of Destin Code Compliance
Department. They do what you’d expect them to do – work on matters of public
concern such as monitoring and enforcing a variety of ordinances, codes and
regulations related to zoning, land use, building codes, public nuisance, beach
vendors, livery vessels and short and long-term rentals. For the latter, Code
has experienced an 8% increase on short-term rental registrations and has just
this year discovered about a dozen never-before registered short-term rentals.
But they’re striving to do even
more.
Most recently, the Code
Compliance Department has acquired new equipment to provide expanded services.
All Code Compliance Officers are trained in CPR, and they were recently issued
a water rescue disc and a portable flotation device (PFD) to respond to and
assist with water rescues. The rescue discs are designed similar to a frisbee with a
100-foot cord attached to it, so it allows an officer to throw a lifeline to a
person in the water.
“We’re
often on the beach and by other waterways throughout their day-to-day shifts,”
said Brian Eagar, Code Compliance Officer. “The rescue disk and inflatable life
vest are valuable pieces of life saving equipment that can assist in saving a
distressed swimmer. Having this equipment helps us to be ready if any type
of water related incident occurs around or nearby us.”
Code Compliance Officers were
also issued first responder trauma kits that include a tourniquet, an emergency
trauma dressing, a bleeding control dressing, two chest seals and pair of
rubber gloves.
“It
is important to outfit our Code Compliance Officers with this equipment as they
are routinely interacting with the public and driving around our
community. Should there be an incident like a traffic crash, boat accident
or some other emergency that we roll up on, we’re now prepared to offer
immediate life care measures that we were not able to do before. It’s our
hope that the community recognizes that we’re more than an enforcement arm of
the city and that we can also be of assistance in someone’s time of critical
need,” said Troy Williams, Code Compliance Director.
The Code Compliance Officers
were also issued the lifesaving opiod overdose reversal drug Narcan in the
event they’re alerted to scene where it’s needed.
“We
began issuing this lifesaving drug to our Code Compliance Officers due to their
frequency of contact with the public. It is well known the United Stated
suffers from an opioid epidemic and we would be naïve to think that with as
many visitors that frequent our great city that an overdose could not happen
here. Narcan works to reverse the effects of a life-threatening opioid
overdose or suspected opioid overdose. Again, we want to be able to
provide an increased level of service to our community, both residents and
visitors,” said Williams.
And finally, the Code
Compliance Officers were issued professional Big Easy brand “lockout” kits.
“All the officers have these kits
in their duty vehicles,” said Brian Davis, Deputy Code Director. “These kits
are of great importance when considering instances where a pet or, heaven
forbid a child, is accidentally locked in a car.”
The Code Compliance Department
aims to be much more than enforcing ordinances and writing citations. Williams
said, “As we see it, part of our job is to avail ourselves of tools and
equipment that better serve the whole community and create an atmosphere of
public trust, transparency and accountability.”
Although there are new faces,
new equipment and new services offered, the hometown community approach is at
the forefront of all they do. Within a week of acquiring the lockout tool, Code
assisted a local resident who had locked her car keys in her vehicle while she
was at work.
