- May 4, 2024
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K-9 Sgt. Jon Welker; Flagler County Veterans Services Officer David Lydon; Blue Knights Vice President George Zampella; K-9 Deputy Robert Tarczewski and K-9 Tag; Blue Knights President Bill Gallagher and Sheriff Rick Staly
K-9 Tag displays his new bulletproof/stabproof vest with his partner Deputy Robert Tarczewski. (Photo courtesy of the Flagler County Sheriff' s Office.)
Members of the Flagler County chapter of Blue Knights International donated bulletproof vests and cooling packs for the Flagler County Sheriff's Office's police dogs April 13, according to a Sheriff's Office news release.
“We really appreciate your efforts,” Sheriff Rick Staly told local Blue Knights members. “You’ve always been a great partner with the Sheriff’s Office and we hope to continue that partnership. ... We want to protect our deputies, and our four- legged ones too," Staly said.
Staly said the K-9s cost about $10,000 each, pus about another $8,000 for training and equipment. The dogs are trained in narcotics detection, bomb-sniffing, apprehension or missing person searches and are committed to their human partners.
The local Blue Knights and the Palm Coast Elks Lodge began a mission in 2016 to raise $8,000 to equip four of the five Sheriff's Office dogs. One dog was already outfitted with a ballistic bulletproof and stab-proof vest in 2015.
George Zampella, vice president of the Blue Knights chapter and himself a retired K-9 police officer, launched the idea to equip the dogs, saying that at least 28 K-9s were killed in 2016, including a Volusia County K-9 last November. This year, at least five have died in the line of duty.
Through community donations and fundraisers, the groups raised the money to provide the vests and special cooling packs worn under the vests to keep the dogs cool when they are working in the Florida heat. Each dog is being outfitted with six cooling packs, which can be worn 2,200 times, Zampella said.
The Sheriff;s Office's K-9 teams include: Sgt. John Welker with K-9 partner Jax; Deputy Robert Tarczewski with K-9 Tag; Deputy Fred Gimbel with K-9 Marko; Deputy Brandon Fiveash with K-9 Kaos, and Deputy Jonathon Duenas, in K-9 training.
Flagler County officials are asking residents to help remind guests and visitors that walking over the dunes and beach driving are prohibited, according to a Flagler County government news release.
“We’ve been getting reports that people are walking over the dunes, and worse, driving on the beach since we had to open some access areas so that work can be done to restore our ailing dune system,” Tim Telfer, public lands and natural resources manager, said in a news release. “We know residents are aware of the importance of protecting the dunes that were left frail after Hurricane Matthew, but we would appreciate it if everyone would help get the word out to others.”
Flagler County has been working diligently create a comprehensive dune system that creates conditions that are better than those pre-storm conditions along the 18 miles of beach within the county.
Varn Park reopens Wednesday, April 19, after two months of dune restoration efforts in the Hammock, according to a Flagler County government news release.
The Department of Environmental Protection issued a permit to the Hammock Dunes Owners Association to assist with its restoration efforts. While the permit is in effect until May 1, the private work in that area has been substantially completed.
“We know this has been an inconvenience for those who enjoy this park. We appreciate everyone’s patience and understanding and are happy to reopen it,” County Administrator Craig Coffey said in the news release. “Additional projects are expected in the near future and that will likely require additional temporary beach closures in other areas from time to time.”
