Starboard buys Dewey Beach Patrol new vehicle

During Dewey Beach’s crazy summer months, the town’s lifeguards do more than just monitor the Atlantic Ocean’s unforgiving waters for swimmers in distress.

In addition to traditional lifeguarding duties, the small municipality’s beach patrol unit is asked to enforce town ordinances on the beach and are the first responders to medical emergencies throughout the town. If a person gets seriously injured in a pool near Fifer’s Market on the north end of town, it’s the Dewey Beach Patrol hammering down Route 1 on a four-wheeler to assess the situation.

As first responders, the beach patrol has occasion to handle spinal cord injuries, but until recently the unit had no vehicle with a bed long enough to carry an individual strapped to a spine board.

That’s no longer the case as a result of a donation by the Starboard.

This is a true medical emergency vehicle, said Steve Montgomery, Starboard owner, during a July 8 town council meeting of a brand new Kawasaki ATV.

Dewey Beach Patrol Lieutenant Chris Muscara said in addition to helping with beach injuries, the vehicle can help transport equipment. There’s a lot of different hats the beach patrol wears, and this vehicle will help with all of them, he said.

“This will get a lot of good use,” said Muscara, with a Christmas-in-July smile.

Research on what model of ATV to buy took about six months, said Muscara, and included calling beach patrol units on the east and west coasts. He said in the end Dewey selected a vehicle with a better engine but fewer bells and whistles.

When asked by Mayor Diane Hanson how much the vehicle cost, Montgomery reluctantly said the vehicle was about $12,000 and then there was another $2,000 spent on accessories like flashing lights, sirens and radio.

Anything else, the town can buy, Montgomery said.