A vast improvement over Satellite Beach Police scanning the beach with binoculars, powerful and versatile ATVs for years have patrolled the city’s three miles of sand.
But the corrosive environment makes it nearly impossible to keep up with rust and repairs, causing the need for ATV replacements.
Its 2011 model beyond fixing, Satellite Beach city staff found a way to get – in essence – a free, brand-new, fully-equipped ATV through a $9,901 non-matching grant from Firehouse Subs.
Public works grant writer Jestina Roche knew the funding program could be used to cover ATVs for use by first responders including police. She asked Lt. Darren Frost, supervisor of patrol officers, to look into what model would be best.
“They last about five or six years because of the sand and salt, it just eats them up,’’ Frost said.
The ATV is stored in a host condominium with a covered parking space that allows for protection from the weather, security and easy access to the beach for quick response times.
The ATV is used by a group of trained volunteers on nearly daily patrols as part of the department’s “proactive” approach to provide a police presence on the beach as a deterrent to crime. It also can be pressed into emergency service at any time as part of its “reactive” function, Frost said.
Over the years, the Satellite Beach ATV has been used by police to locate missing children/persons, transport injured people to the nearest beach access for fire rescue, and identify suspicious items that wash up on our beaches – everything from narcotics, immigrant rafts and stolen vessels, to injured wildlife, Frost said.
Should it be needed on a call in another location, the ATV is portable by trailer for use by trained officers and volunteers. Of the department’s 23 sworn officers, about 10 are certified to use the ATV, he said.
The new 500cc ATV is very similar to the old model and is equipped with a public address system to help give announcements. The improvement for this version was larger tires to help it maneuver in loose sand, Frost said.
The new ATV was purchased in mid-September and outfitted in time for its debut in the Nov. 3 Satellite Beach Founders Day parade.
