The City of North Myrtle Beach is improving beach services by offering chair and umbrella rentals, as well as roving concession carts for beachgoers.

• The rental rates are $10 for chairs and $15 for umbrellas per full day. Other rental rates and combinations were available.

Providing these services frees lifeguards to do the one job that is most important to anyone on the NMB beaches – keeping the visitors safe and saving lives.

• The intent is for the lifeguards to be strictly responsible for the safety of our citizens from now on. They no longer will have to think about renting beach chairs.

• Lifeguards hired for this program have completed rigorous training in lifesaving, first aid and public safety. A full staff of qualified lifeguards will be protecting swimmers this summer, with approximately ninety percent being hired from the local population.

Also newly available to those visiting NMB beaches will be concession vehicles that will cruise the sand during the season. This ATV-type vehicles look much like a beverage cart as found on golf courses.

• They will offer a variety of sandwiches, beverages, candy, sunscreen and frozen lemonade. The City has strived to keep the prices of items reasonable, with no items costing over $3.

By Angela Barwick- NorthMyrtleBeachOnline.com