PUBLIC SAFETY

Okaloosa County EMS launches new Lifesaving Portable Blood Delivery Program

Okaloosa County Emergency Medical Services has implemented a new program allowing EMTs and paramedics to deliver blood supplies at emergency scenes, officials announced Friday.

• The portable blood delivery program aims to increase the survivability of patients suffering from major traumatic shock or conditions including gastrointestinal bleeds and postpartum hemorrhaging.

“Providing efficient, quality aid for patients under our care is important to upholding the goals of preserving and protecting the lives of Okaloosa County families,” said Okaloosa County Board Chairman Trey Goodwin.  “This program gives our EMTs and paramedics a significant tool to save lives.”

The blood, supplied by OneBlood Inc., will be stored in temperature-controlled containers on selected response vehicles. Once first responders arrive at a scene, the blood can be warmed to the proper temperature and administered to a patient within three minutes, allowing for one unit of blood to be transfused, according to the county.

Okaloosa County EMS is the first ground ambulance transport provider in the Florida Panhandle to carry and provide whole blood in the field. Officials said the portable blood delivery programs are becoming more widely adopted in emergency services as a way to dramatically increase patient survival rates.

The program comes as Okaloosa County EMS aims to uphold a high standard of care for families across the county. All local hospitals have been informed of the new protocols and provided training opportunities, according to the county.

TOURISM

Destin-Fort Walton Beach Tourism Department wins prestigious Travel Marketing awards

The Destin-Fort Walton Beach Tourism Department will be recognized with the prestigious Adrian Awards for outstanding travel marketing from the Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI).

• The awards honor creativity and innovation in advertising, digital marketing and public relations.

Destin-Fort Walton Beach will receive two President’s Awards, the highest honor, along with a gold, silver and two bronze awards across multiple categories. Nearly 1,200 entries were judged by a panel of about 200 industry experts.

“We are truly honored to be recognized with Adrian Award wins across multiple categories this year,” said Jennifer Adams, Destin-Fort Walton Beach’s tourism director. “My team consistently strives to both develop creative ways to introduce our destination and local businesses to visitors and bring to life innovative products that create a valuable experience for all during their time here. We’re immensely proud to be recognized for the results of those efforts among the best in the industry.”

Destin-Fort Walton Beach will accept the following awards at the HSMAI Adrian Awards Celebration on Feb. 13, 2024 in New York:

• Integrated Campaign – Innovation: gold and President’s Award for Destination Stewardship
• Advertising – Corporate Social Responsibility: bronze and President’s Award for Community Engagement – What’s Good for the Local is Good for the Visitor
• Public Relations/Communications – Influencer Marketing: silver for Influencer Campaign
• Public Relations/Communications – Feature Placement Online or Print Consumer Media: bronze for Writer Tames Lionfish for Her Culinary Audience

THINGS TO DO

‘Kids Night Out’ in Fort Walton Beach

The Fort Walton Beach Recreation Center will hold a Kids Night Out event on Saturday, Dec. 9, 2023 from 5 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

• The event is for children in grades 1st through 5th, and will feature arts and crafts, games, music, dancing, cookie decorating, hot cocoa, and a Christmas movie.
• Cost is $10 per child and includes pizza, drinks and treats.

Spots are limited so register early. For more information contact Pat Sherman at 850-833-9576.

Registration deadline is Thursday, Dec. 7, 2023. You can register your child in person at the Recreation Center at 132 Jet Drive NW, or online here.

ICYMI

News you may have missed

• This week, I asked readers on social to tell me what their favorite go-to local restaurant for a family dinner is. I’d love to hear from you too on this. Click here to drop your answer!

• Residents may experience aircraft noise when the 40th Flight Test Squadron and the 85th Test and Evaluation Squadron conduct night flying operations in the area. Fighter aircraft will conduct missions Dec. 4 – 7 between 6:30 and 8:30 p.m. 

• Due to weather, Hurlburt Field’s Winter Wonderland and Tree Lighting Ceremony has been rescheduled for Thursday, Dec. 7 from 4-7 p.m.

• After being initially cancelled for this Saturday, the Crestview Christmas Parade has also been rescheduled for next Saturday, Dec. 9, at 5:30 pm, with the tree lighting at 5 pm.

• The Fort Walton Beach Police Department will host its second community bike ride on Saturday, Dec. 9 starting at 9 a.m. at the Northwest Florida Fairgrounds. The event kicks off with a preview of the fairground’s Winter Wonderland village featuring holiday-themed pallet houses. Read More

• The Valparaiso City Commission has approved spending nearly $1 million to improve the boat ramp and docks at Lincoln Park. According to the city, the current ramp and docks are in poor condition and need extensive repairs in order to remain usable. Read More

THE WEEKENDER

A few things to do around town

December 1, 2023 – Nights of Lights at Baytowne Wharf – Free – View

December 2, 2023 – Christmas Market and Open House – Free – View

December 2, 2023 – Repticon Reptiles & Exotic Animals Expo – View

December 2, 2023 – Opening Day of ADSO Christmas Market – View

December 2, 2023 – HH Arts Gallery Night – Free – View

December 3, 2023 – A Downtown Holiday Market – View

December 3, 2023 – Toast ‘n Jam feat: Time for Three (Tf3) – View

December 3, 2023 – Jingle Jet Movie Matinee – $7.00 – View

December 3, 2023 – Christmas Open House – Free – View

December 3, 2023 – Battle of the bands 2023 @ Enlightened Studios FWB 5-9 – – View

December 5, 2023 – Christmas Mingle & PR Jingle – $35.00 – View

December 5, 2023 – Vincenzo’s Bourbon Dinner – $75 – View

December 6, 2023 – Wednesday Night Concert Series- Holiday Edition + Visits with Santa – Free – View

December 7, 2023 – Christmas Bird Count by Malcolm Swan – Free – View

COASTAL RESOURCES

Devil rays satellite tagged for the first time ever in Destin-Fort Walton Beach

Last month, the Okaloosa Coastal Resource Team and Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium researchers came together to tag a record number of endangered devil rays off the Destin-Fort Walton Beach coast, aiming to better understand the species’ migration patterns and inform future conservation efforts.

The collaborative research project builds on similar tagging work conducted last November when the team first began studying devil rays in Northwest Florida. Over the course of five days on the water this November, the researchers sampled and tagged a total of 47 devil rays.

“We didn’t really know what to expect. Last year, we were hoping for anywhere between 15 to 30 devil rays,” said Jessica Valek, Coastal Resource Coordinator with the Destin-Fort Walton Beach Tourism Department. “This year, we were able to tag 47 devil rays.”

Of those 47 rays, 30 received small acoustic tags which will allow the research team to track their movements in areas where acoustic receivers have been set up. The receivers record when a tagged ray swims nearby, and the data is later downloaded to reveal where and when the animals were present.

• In addition to acoustic tags, all 47 rays received a Passive Integrated Transponder (PIT) tag, similar to a microchip implanted in pets. The PIT tags provide individual identification numbers for each ray and allow researchers to know if a ray has been caught before and therefore measure growth rates and maturity changes.

The research team also took biological samples, measurements and photos to benefit additional research projects aimed to better understand the species. During the tagging work, they made an interesting discovery about what could bring the devil rays to the area each fall.

“With a few of the rays that we caught one day, you could tell that they were actively feeding and see what they were feeding on in the water,” Valek said. “We actually scooped up a couple of samples and we found that it was mysid shrimp.”

• The tiny mysid shrimp could be a food source drawing devil rays back to the shallow Destin-Fort Walton Beach waters year after year. Fecal samples collected from the rays will allow scientists to further analyze their diet.

When asked if the tagging process harms the animals, Valek emphasized they focus on safe handling procedures throughout the research. In fact, an acoustically tagged juvenile ray was recaptured exactly a week after tagging. According to MOTE, the ray was displaying typical, natural behavior such as feeding along the shore with two other juveniles. 

To round up devil rays for tagging, researchers deploy a weighted seine net from Mote Marine Laboratory’s research vessel. The net features floats along the top and weights along the bottom to hang vertically in the water.

When the team spots a small group of rays near the boat, they carefully maneuver the net around the animals by dropping one end into the water and driving the vessel in a circle. This surrounds the rays within the net corral.

A researcher then enters the enclosed area with a dip net in hand. One at a time, devil rays are transferred into a small holding tank on deck where measurements and samples are quickly obtained. Within minutes, acoustic tags and microchips are inserted before the rays are released back into the Gulf.

Throughout the rapid process, pumps circulate fresh seawater into the onboard tank to keep the animals comfortable. The research team says they prioritize safe handling procedures for the endangered species.

• “With our specialized research boat and trained team, we make sure that the entire sampling and tagging process is minimal and quick.,” said Mote Research Biologist Kim Bassos-Hull, project Co-PI. “After procedures are completed we monitor the rays’ safe release back into the Gulf”. 

In addition to the 30 acoustic tags and 47 PIT tags, two larger devil rays also made history by becoming the first of their kind to receive satellite tags. While typical satellite tags relay location data each time the animal surfaces, these  specialized Wildlife Computers microPAT tags record depth, temperature and time of day while attached on the rays for several months before automatically releasing and reporting the data to the satellites once at the surface.

• The researchers attached one tag to a male and the other to a female.

By understanding where the devil rays travel throughout the year, what brings them to Northwest Florida seasonally, and what threats they face, researchers hope to inform future management and conservation strategies for the endangered population.

The project was funded through a grant awarded by the Save Our Seas Foundation, with additional support from Georgia Aquarium and Mote Scientific Foundation and all research and procedures were conducted under permit FWC SAL-23-1140-SRP.

Valek said while they still have much more to learn in coming years, the 30 acoustic tags deployed this season will provide significantly more data on the devil rays’ regional movements and behavior patterns. You can help Mote researchers by reporting your devil ray, manta ray and eagle ray sightings at www.mote.org/raysightings.

• “The more years that we continue this project, the more we’re going to learn from it,” she said. “Hopefully we’ll start seeing some sort of trend or pattern in what our tagged rays are doing.”

Click here to see more pictures