FLORIDA GUARD TRAINS IN CEDAR KEY,
RETRIEVES DUMPSTER FOR MAYOR
2024 August 22
RETRIEVES DUMPSTER FOR MAYOR
2024 August 22
The marine division of the Florida Guard visited Cedar Key for two and a half days of training this past weekend, August 16 through 18, 2024. Based in the Cedar Key Library and under the command of Randall Jones, the marine units’ goal is twofold: to build relationships with local officials of Florida’s smaller coastal communities and to familiarize themselves with the nearby waterways.
According to Jones, the total Florida Guard number is approximately 300 individuals, the marine unit is approximately 55. The latter largely come from the ranks of experienced watermen, such as boat captains, Coast Guardsmen, and tow boat workers.
Jones remarked that larger coastal communities , such as Miami and Jacksonville, have powerful support systems and resources. Smaller coastal communities reflect the inverse of those circumstances: less money, fewer people, and fewer agencies to assist in times of disaster. Among the duties associated with the guard is to clear channels to allow safe navigation after disasters.
Part of the three-day training event, of course, includes time on the water. On Friday afternoon, the group launched seven shallow hull boats from the Cedar Key Marina to scout about the waters around the Cedar Keys.
Jones, clearly listening to Mayor Sue Colson about the over fifty significant piles of marine debris left after Hurricane Idalia, included in his group’s mission was the removal of a large green dumpster in the waters off SR 24. Jones presented Mayor Colson with the handle from the dumpster as a memento of the first of hopefully many debris cleanups to come.
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