EMERGENCIES

EMERGENCIES

In the event of an Emergency for Fire / Police / Ambulance, then dial 911

For less urgent issues such as noise complaints, then call the Lee County Sheriff’s Office = 239-477-1000.

We have good community police on Fort Myers Beach who are used to dealing with tourist issues; so please make use of their service rather than escalating a situation on your own. Please also report any issue to us, so we know about it. I have called the police twice on this number and it was a good outcome for all concerned – even the offending party!

 

Fire Emergencies

  • We have smoke detectors, small fire extinguishers and fire blankets in the condo
  • There are Alarm point and more fire fighting equipment outside
  • In the event of a fire, always remember the Three A’s  = Activate, Assist, Attempt in that order
    1. ACTIVATE– the building alarm system (if it has not already been activated) and notify the fire department by calling 911. (Our address is on the front of our condo manuals) Or, have someone else do this for you while you… 
    2. ASSIST– any persons in immediate danger, or those incapable of escaping immediate danger on their own. Assist anyone who may need help to exit the building, without putting yourself at a risk.
    3. Only after these two steps are completed, should you – ATTEMPT– to extinguish the fire with a fire extinguisher. 
  • If you hear the building alarm, then evacuate to the Beach so you are well out of the way of the Emergency Services

 

Lightning

  • “When the Thunder Roars, Go Indoors!” https://www.leegov.com/parks/parks/lightning
  • Where there is thunder, there is lightning; and it has been known to travel more than 15 miles
  • Do not delay – When the Thunder Roars, Go Indoors!

 

Hurricanes

  • Florida gets storms every year, typically in the late summer months. Although these may bring heavy rain bands, only a small percentage of these have a direct “hit” on Fort Myers (I can remember two in 20 years)
  • All guests staying in short-term rental units must comply with Government issued mandatory evacuations due to hurricanes and tropical storms, as required by state and local laws. If you do evacuate then take ALL your possessions with you as there may be several days’ delay in getting back on to the Beach.
  • Although hurricanes bring strong winds, the biggest issues are the subsequent flooding and power cuts.
    • The power could be off for days or longer – so no fresh water, no AC, no cellphone, no ATMs, no grocery stores, no restaurants or fast food, no credit card processing, limited gas, etc
    • And flooding may cut-off your escape route (if your car is not already flooded)
    • Do not delay in evacuating.
  • The Emergency Services withdraw when the winds get over a prescribed limit (about 50 mph). So you are on your own. Do not delay in evacuating.
  • When evacuating, please close all internal and external doors and windows, turn off the water supply; and close any lanai hurricane shutters
  • There are several media sources for information updates. My favorite websites:
    • https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/ – NOAA National Hurricane Center – this is a good starting point. It is a government website so often presents a government interpretation of the facts.
    • https://www.wunderground.com/hurricane Weather Underground. They receive the same raw data as NOAA but present it as more factual data (if you are skilled at interpreting the information)
  • See also Lee County Emergency Management at  https://www.leegov.com/publicsafety/emergencymanagement   Fort Myers Beach is Evacuation Zone A ; which is the highest risk area being on a low lying beach front barrier island.

 

StingRays

  • StingRays visit Fort Myers Beach to breed for about the same season as the Turtles (May 1 to October 31)
  • Stingrays are not aggressive; but they don’t like being stood on. So it is always best to practice the Stingray Shuffle when walking in the water.
  • If you are unfortunate to get stung (very rare), then soaking in hot water (as hot as you can bear) should alleviate the sting. But you might like to visit a Medical Professional

 

Medical

Lee Health operate the main hospitals and Convenient Care centers in our region. Their nearest locations to Fort Myers Beach (Zip = 33931) are  https://www.leehealth.org/locations :

 

Pharmacies: