Navarre Beach lifeguards made 44 rescues in 2014. Photo credit: Santa Rosa public information

Unguarded areas of Navarre Beach could be getting safety upgrades thanks to a project spearheaded by the Navarre Rotary Club.

Rotarians want to purchase 12 “rescue tube” stations that can be used by bystanders to help rescue a swimmer in distress.

The Santa Rosa County Commission is set to discuss the proposal at its meeting Monday, Aug. 24. The meeting starts at 9 a.m. at the Santa Rosa County Administrative Office Complex, located at 6495 U.S. 90, Milton (behind McDonald's).

“Navarre Beach, like many coastal areas, has a shortage of lifeguard stations and lifeguards,” Navarre Rotary President Brian Boney wrote in a letter to the commission.

“Budgetary constraints leave most of Navarre Beach unguarded. Increased visitor counts to Navarre Beach over the last 18 months have put an even greater burden on our limited resources, and with the addition of a 160 room hotel on Navarre Beach beginning in 2016, it is expected that visitor count to increase even further.”

A rescue tube is a personal floatation device. The station, affixed to posts sunk into the sand, would include the tube and instructions on how to use it. They are expected to cost about $150 each, and they should last for about four years.

The rescue tube stations would be installed at beach access points west of the Navarre Fishing Pier.

“Since 2010, six people have drowned on Navarre Beach in the unguarded area that would be covered by these proposed rescue tube stations,” Boney wrote. “In two instances, the victim of drowning was attempting to rescue a swimmer in distress. Rescue tubes have shown to be effective in helping both swimmers in distress and the Samaritan attempting to assist them in reaching the beach safely.”

Other items on the agenda include:

— Allocating $20,000 to the Country On The Sound concert set for Sept. 25-26 at Navarre Beach Marine Park. The concert is being produced by Astar Promotions.

The allocation is endorsed by the county's Tourist Development Council. Of the total, $10,000 must be used to pay performers and the remaining $10,000 must be spent on out-of-town advertising efforts.

— Discussing the county's proposed 2016 legislative priorities, including:

— A $5.25 million from the Florida Beach Management Funding Assistance Program to help renourish Navarre Beach.

— $3.7 million to build infrastructure at Northwest Florida @ 1-10 Industrial Park.

— $8.8 million for construction of Whiting Aviation Park.

— $19 million to relocate the discharge effluent from the Navarre Beach Wastewater Treatment Facility from Santa Rosa Sound to property on the mainland on Eglin Air Force Base Reservation.

— $12 million to help cover cost of a new Santa Rosa County judicial center.