Manatee County has unveiled its first high-water rescue vehicle, adding a new tool for reaching residents during flood emergencies as hurricane season gets underway.
The vehicle can travel through water up to 48 inches deep and is equipped with lights and cameras. It has a capacity of 25 to 30 passengers and a liftgate that accommodates wheelchairs and bedridden individuals.
Chet Brown, chief of Manatee County Beach Patrol, said the vehicle would have been valuable during the flooding that followed the 2024 hurricanes. The county paid more than $235,000 for the vehicle, which will be deployed after storms and flood events.
Brown noted that the county’s continued growth makes the investment timely. “The county is growing like crazy,” he said, adding that more residents and new developments increase the potential need for flood rescues.
Manatee County Public Safety communications coordinator Francesca Constantini encouraged residents to build a disaster kit and establish a family emergency plan. The county’s final preparedness presentation and Emergency Operations Center tour of the season is scheduled for Saturday, June 13, beginning at 9 a.m. at the Public Safety Center in East Bradenton.
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