Beach tents, surfing, and dogs on the beach in North Myrtle Beach

1. Tents are allowed on the beach in the city of North Myrtle Beach from September 16 through May 14. No shading devices may be placed within the emergency vehicle access lane, which is the area approximately twenty (20) to twenty-five (25) feet seaward of the dune line and parallel to the shoreline that will be marked by city trash cans, pylons and/or flags. The director of the department of public safety or his designee shall have the authority to establish unobstructed emergency access lanes perpendicular to the shoreline for emergency vehicles, personnel and/or other emergency equipment to access the surf or other areas of the beach in the event of an emergency. Emergency access lanes perpendicular to the shoreline shall remain open and unobstructed until the director of public safety or his designee determines the emergency access lane is no longer necessary.
   
2. Surfing restrictions do not apply September 16 through May 14, except that it is unlawful to surf within 300 feet of any pier, all surfers are required to wear a surfing leash at all times, and the director of public safety or his designee may temporarily prohibit surfboarding and/or skim-boarding in a given area for public safety purposes.
   
3. Dogs are allowed on the beach at any time September 16 through May 14. No person having the ownership, possession or control of any dog shall allow such dog to run at large within the city, which includes the beach. Any dog which is off the property of the person having the ownership, possession or control of such dog, shall be on a leash not exceeding 7 feet in length and shall be under the control of the person having custody of such dog.

Temporary “No Swimming” Signs Posted At Four Specific Locations In North Myrtle Beach Due To Ocean Water Sampling Results

Residents and visitors are advised to heed temporary “No Swimming” signs that are being posted today at 17th Avenue South, 9th Avenue South, 7th Avenue South and 3rd Avenue North on the oceanfront in North Myrtle Beach. People should not swim within 200 feet on either side of these temporary signs.

The “No Swimming” notices for these specific locations are being posted because regularly scheduled ocean water samples taken for the City by Coastal Carolina University’s Environmental Quality Lab on September 14, 2016 and received today showed the elevated presence of enterococci bacteria in the water at these specific locations.

Protocol requires that follow up samples be collected, and those samples were taken on September 15, 2016. If the new water samples are found to be within acceptable levels as established by SC DHEC (104 or lower), the public will be notified and the temporary signs will be removed. If the levels are found to not fall within acceptable limits, the signs will remain in place as further testing is accomplished and until the levels fall to within acceptable limits.

The September 14, 2016 readings are as follows:

• 17th Avenue South – 373
• 9th Avenue South – 2110
• 7th Avenue South – 703
• 3rd Avenue North – 256

All other sampling locations were found to be well under the 104 ceiling established by SC DHEC.

13th Annual Irish Italian International Festival Saturday, September 24, 10am-4pm on Main Street in North Myrtle Beach

The City of North Myrtle Beach will host the 13^thAnnual Irish Italian International Festival on Saturday, September 24, 10am-4pm on Main Street. Festival admission and parking are free.

This one day, rain or shine event brings approximately 15,000 people to celebrate different cultures. The festival will offers food vendors, two stages of live entertainment, and art & craft vendors, all catering to an Irish Italian International theme. A children's area offers inflatables and activities.

Vendors will compete for the titles of Best Entrée, Best Decorated, and Best Dessert.

Festival-goers can sign up for Claudio’s Spaghetti Eating Contest, sponsored by Villa Romana, in person at the Info Booth or the CIAO booth between 10 a.m. and 1:45 p.m. at the festival.

Festival Sponsors include CIAO from the Carolinas, WFXB Fox TV, Easy 105.9, Home Depot, Flynn’s Irish Tavern and the Ancient Order of Hibernians.

Entertainment Schedule Irish Stage – 421 Main Street (in front of Flynn’s Irish Tavern)

10:00 a.m. – The Academy of Dance and Fine Arts

10:30 a.m. - Opening Ceremonies

10:45 a.m. – Band on the Rum

11:30 a.m. – Port City Pipes and Drums

11:50 p.m. – Band on the Rum

1:00 p.m. – Off Kilter

2:45 p.m. – Off Kilter

Italian Stage – 400 Main Street (in front of Hope Taylor & Co.)

10:00 a.m. - Dale Mosher

10:30 a.m. - Opening Ceremonies

10:45 a.m. - Dale Mosher

1:00 p.m. - Larry Tanelli

2:15 p.m. - Claudio’s Spaghetti Eating Contest, sponsored by Villa Romana

2:45 p.m. - Atwater

For more information, visit parks.nmb.us, or for day of the event news, please call the North Myrtle Beach Parks & Recreation Department at (843) 280-5594.

North Myrtle Beach Fire/Rescue Division will now carry Narcan

Emergency medical technicians within the North Myrtle Beach Department of Public Safety’s Fire/Rescue Division will now carry the lifesaving drug, Narcan.  Previously only certified paramedics were allowed to administer Narcan in South Carolina, however, the South Carolina Department of Health & Environmental Control (DHEC) has approved Narcan use by emergency medical technicians with the approval of a department’s medical director.

Narcan is used for individuals who have overdosed on Opioid drugs such as Heroin, Fentanyl, Vicodin, Dilaudid, Demerol, and Percocet.  Narcan is used when individuals are found to be unresponsive, have little or no respirations, and exhibit pinpoint pupils.  Narcan is pushed into an individual’s nose via a misting device, similar to a nasal spray.  The drug quickly reduces the effects of Opiods in the body, allowing an individual to begin breathing again. 

Statistics

In 2013 there were 24,500 deaths in the United States due to Opioid overdose or an average of one life every 21 minutes.

Since March 2016, North Myrtle Beach Department of Public Safety detectives have logged 30 known overdoses of heroin/fentanyl with four being fatal.  This does not include any Opioid-based pills.

According to DHEC, there are currently only three other fire departments in South Carolina that allow their emergency medical technicians to administer Narcan.  In our area, the Myrtle Beach Fire Department also recently began to carry Narcan.

In 2015 Horry County was second in the state for Narcan use. Greenville County was first with 709.

The numbers this year for Narcan use in Horry County already surpassing what Greenville County did during all of 2015 and will likely exceed 1,000 by the end of the year. That equates to about 20% of the entire state’s use of Narcan by emergency medical technicians by only 6% of the state’s population. 

Annual 9/11 Memorial Beach Walk

Firefighters, police, EMT and members of the military will gather in North Myrtle Beach Sunday morning to pay tribute to the victims of the September 11 attack on the United States.

Dressed from head to toe in the same gear and equipment as the brothers and sisters used that day they lost their lives, they will walk 9 miles along the sand as a way to commemorate the first responders and all those who died in the terrorist attacks on The World Trade Centers; on Flight 93, and at the Pentagon.

The Walk will begin at 9:11 am at 48th Avenue South and continue along the beach to the Cherry Grove section around 56th Ave North. This is the fourth year for the North Myrtle Beach 9-11 Beach Walk.

Nearly 350 firefighters died for each other and the people they were trying to save on September 11, 2001. In addition, 23 New York City police officers also made the sacrifice.
Every year men and women come on the beach to attend the event from various areas in Horry County, across the state, and other parts of the country.

Sc Department Of Motor Vehicles Application For The Hearing Impaired

South Carolina Code of Law §56-1-205 and 56-3-1920 allows a person who has been certified with uncorrectable hearing loss of 40 decibels or more in one or both ears to obtain a special hearing impaired restriction like emoticon(Y) along with outside mirror restriction (J) on his or her driver’s license/beginner’s permit and/or a hearing impaired placard.

This placard and/or driver’s license/beginner’s permit restriction is to alert law enforcement and others to the driver’s condition and may NOT be used for special parking privileges.

There is a limit of one (1) placard per applicant. To apply for the restriction and/or the placard, the person must have a current driver’s license/beginner’s permit and a physician’s statement certifying the hearing loss. (NOTE: A physician’s statement is not required for a replacement or renewal.)

An application is attached and it can also be accessed online at http://www.scdmvonline.com/dmvnew/Forms/RG-004A.pdf

For answers to questions, call the SC Department of Motor Vehicles at (803) 896-5000.

We thank area resident Michelle Barden for this information. Michelle was concerned by a news story about an incident in another state involving a hearing impaired person and law enforcement. She has met with city officials and we have enjoyed talking with her and learning from her.

Nmb Public Safety Personnel To Walk 9 Miles Of Beach In Full Gear In Remembrance Of 9/11 Brothers & Sisters

In 2011, North Myrtle Beach Public Safety personnel felt the need to show respect to those who had given the ultimate sacrifice when the United States came under attack on September 11, 2001.

(Photo is from a previous 9/11 NMB Public Safety Dept Beach Walk.)

On that 10^th anniversary of 9/11, in an effort to memorialize all who perished, were injured and were otherwise involved in the events of that tragic day, department personnel elected to walk the entire 9 mile stretch of beach within the city of North Myrtle Beach, dressed from head to toe in the same gear and equipment as their brothers and sisters used on the day they lost their lives.

At first, they walked quietly and solemnly, not knowing if their task was even possible to complete. They soon realized that walking 9 miles in the hot sun on the beach would be an arduous task, and the need for conversation was a must. They began to discuss among themselves the events that had taken place that day and their memories of it, and they shared with each other the stories of those they had lost.

Lost in conversation as they walked the beach that day, they did not realize that as they marched that beach-goers had begun to salute the flags they carried, placing their hands on their hearts as the public safety personnel passed by.  People also began walking with them for short distances, thanking them, and shaking their hands. The marchers then realized that what they had set out to do for themselves also provided those around them with an opportunity to show respect as well.

With the overwhelming support they received that day, Public Safety personnel knew they could not stop until they had reached their destination. Mentally and physically, they supported each other through their journey. And, with a few stops along the way, drenched in sweat, aching from head to toe, they finally achieved their goal.

Each year since, the walk has continued to provide an outlet for Public Safety employees, residents, and visitors to remember the victims of the attacks on 9/11. The walk honors the countless first responders and military personnel who responded that day, and those who continue to protect the nation.

Now joined by multiple agencies, branches of the military, and family members, the walk has grown beyond what its founders had imagined.

This year marks the 15^th anniversary of the tragic events of 9/11/2001 and the 5^th year of the Beach Walk.

The public is invited to join with North Myrtle Beach Public Safety personnel as they again walk the entire beach on 9/11 in remembrance of their brothers and sisters.

WALK INFORMATION

Start: 9:00 a.m. at  48th Avenue South on the beach.

Conclusion: About 63rd Avenue North on the beach.

For additional information, please contact Fire Engineer Ryan Marrs at rmmarrs@nmb.us or (843) 385-0195.