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Okaloosa County Beach Safety Senior Staff:
Chief:Tracey Vause
Tracey Vause is originally from Panama City, Fl. In the late 1980's and early '90s he worked in Panama City Beach as a beach lifeguard and attendant. Tracey holds BS degrees in Political Science and Public Administration. He has been a Florida Paramedic since 1995. Tracey was appointed the EMS training and Beach Safety Supervisor in 2003 and took over as Beach Safety Division Chief in 2005.
Captain: Richard Huffnagle
Rich Huffnagle, originally from Aurora, Co. is supervisor of operations and logistics. Rich has a background in the Airforce where he worked for 20 years in Special Operations. He holds a degree in education and was certified as a Fl. EMT in 2007. Rich has worked as Captain of the Beach Safety division since 2007.
Senior Lifeguard: Megan Vermaas
Megan Vermaas is a native of Fort Walton Beach and is the team's Prevention Specialist. She began working for Okaloosa Beach Safety as a seasonal guard in 2009 and after becoming Fl. EMT certified in 2010 she took on the roll of Senior Lifeguard. Megan is responsible for all of the departments community outreach programs and beach safety presentations.
Senior Lifeguard: Matthew Kenney
Matthew Kenney hails from Daytona Beach, Fl. In 2003 Matthew began working for Volusia County Beach Safety and was promoted to Senior Lifeguard after obtaining certification as a Fl. EMT. Matthew also graduated from the Daytona Police Academy with full police standards. In 2011 Matthew moved to Fort Walton and began working as a Senior Lifeguard for Okaloosa County. Matthew is our Technical Rescue Specialist and is responsible for the swift water division as well as rescue ski operations.
