Daytona Beach Shores cops on having dealt with Hurricane Dorian: 'That's a wrap'

Headline Surfer video / Multimedia presentation on dramatic takedown of a burglary suspect on Sept. 2, 2019, just days after a state of emergency was declared in Volusia County in anticipation of Hurricane Dorian.

Photo for Headline Surfer / Daytona Beach Shores Department of Public Safety officers and other first responders strike a pose to highlight their duties in response to hurricane-related protection for the citizens of this beachside city just south of Daytona Beach with its primary access to the mainland via the Dunlawton Bridge, which policed the east entrance at A1A or Atlantic Avenue, and Port Orange cops handling public safety on the west or mainland entrance of the bridge at the intersection of US 1 and Dunlawton Avenue. Shown in the pic above are Daytona Beach Shores Police Chief Stephen Dembinsky (second from left) with several of his public safety officers , EVAC personnel, and Sheriffs's deputies with one of the VCSO's two high water rescue vehicles. The photo was taken after dinner Tuesday night, shortly before wind speeds picked up with the northern outer bands of Dorian churning out in the Atlsntic Ocean and pounding the Bahamas.​

By HENRY FREDERICK

DAYTONA BEACH SHORES, Fla. -- "'That's a wrap!"

For Stephen Dembinsky, the veteran director of the Daytona Beach Shores Department of Public Safety, it was quite the wait for Hurricane Dorian for his agency, whose officers are cross-trained in police and fire services in Daytona Beach Shores, sandwiched between Daytona Beach and Ponce Inlet, with its main roadway artery along A1A.

"We had plenty of time to prepare and are so thankful to have been spared," Dembinsky said Wednesday.

"Throughout the past few days, we housed and fed first responders from throughout the county," Dembinsky continued, adding, this happened with the help of generous donations from Starbucks at Dunlawton and Peninsula, and Daytona Beach Shores-based businesses Publix, 7/Eleven and Bruno's Pizza. 

Dembinsky also had praise for his public safety agency's Facebook followers, describing them as having done "an amazing job sharing information as it was released."

Daytona Beach Shores residents reciprocated thanks for a jon well done by their public safety department and other first responders in their city during the handling of Hurricane Dorian.

"Thank you for keeping our homes safe and for your service to our community," Elizabeth Rasile Evans said.

"You guys are absolutely the best," Eve Windham said. "One of the main reasons we love the shores is because of the public safety personnel."

Paula Burkhardt Rizzo echoed the praise: "Thank you for all you do for our community. We are all grateful for you and proud of you." 

Sue Miller added, "Thank you all for your service and continuing to keep us updated. Glad everyone is safe and the storm is gone."

It was a police body cam video on the arrest of a burglary suspect that put the Shores on the map early on with respect to Hurricane Dorian media coverage.

Key dates during the Hurricane Dorian coverage in Daytona Beach Shores: