JACKSONVILLE BEACH, Fla. — A new agreement for volunteer lifeguards was unanimously approved by the Jacksonville Beach City Council.
The agreement between the city and the Volunteer Life-Saving Corps (VLSC) will form a new working relationship to best provide lifesaving services to residents and visitors.
Per the terms of the agreement is approved, the VLSC will now withdraw its lawsuit against Jacksonville Beach.
Services with Jacksonville Beach ocean rescue will resume starting Memorial Day.
Since 1912, volunteers have helped city-paid lifeguards patrol four miles of Jacksonville Beach when the city did not have lifeguards on duty, mainly on Sundays and holidays.
However, in 2021, the US Department of Labor fined the City of Jacksonville Beach for violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act's minimum wage and overtime laws for allowing Ocean Rescue lifeguards to volunteer without pay.
On March 9, 2022, the city sent a 9-month notice to the Volunteer Life Savings Corps (VLSC) about the end of the agreement.
Less than a month later, on April 5, the City of Jacksonville Beach sent another notice to the volunteers that their service would be terminated immediately due to "disruptive behavior".
The city also barred VLSC from access to the Station by changing the locks on the building. As a result, VLSC then filed a lawsuit against the City in April 2022.
In attempts to reach a resolution, the city says it's been attending mediations with the VLSC. The first one was held on March 6 of this year, and again on April 11.
Documents indicate that at the April 11 mediation, the parties were able to come to the agreement that was passed Monday night.
So what does the new agreement entail?
Most importantly, the agreement complies with federal and state law. It also includes a five-year term, with an option for a five-year renewal. The agreement states that the VLSC will provide services on Sundays and holidays, supplementing Jacksonville Beach Ocean Rescue efforts and will have access to, and provide services from, the lifeguard station.
The city says the historic lifesaving station will remain on the historic registry and be used by both organizations for operations, trainings and meetings.
“It took a lot of time and effort to re-imagine this relationship, and I’m thankful to everyone who rolled up their sleeves to make it happen," Mayor Chris Hoffman previously said in a news release. "This is a new era between the two organizations and with it, a new opportunity to grow and work, together.”
“This agreement, most importantly, serves the safety interests of residents and visitors while honoring the traditions of excellence and professionalism from JBOR and VLSC,” said Jim Emery, President of the VLSC Board of Directors. “We look forward to continuing our 112-year history of services and the 90+year-old relationship between both of these exceptional organizations.”