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Since 1998, all new county park and recreation facilities have been constructed to be handicapped accessible and barrier free with no access constraints. Also since 1998, the county retrofitted all of its existing parks and recreational facilities to ensure that the facilities are handicapped accessible. Currently, the county's existing parkland is sufficient to serve the existing population of the county. As growth continues, however, deficiencies may occur. As detailed in the Recreation and Open Space Element, the county plans to conduct a needs assessment to determine recreation capital improvement priorities. Eventually, the county will need to increase parkland in the fast growing areas south and west of Vero Beach and west of Sebastian. In addition to parks, the county contains other open space areas. In 2007, there were approximately 100,000 acres of publicly owned open space in the county. The largest publicly owned open space areas in the county are the St. Sebastian River Preserve and the Blue Cypress and Fort Drum Marsh conservation areas. Approximately 136,896 acres of agricultural land also provide significant open space in the county. In addition to purchasing land, the county uses development exactions to preserve open space. Currently, County Land Development Regulations require that developers of land containing native upland plant habitat preserve 15% of that habitat. The preservation of that land is accomplished through conservation easements. Parks, Recreation, and Open Space are discussed in more detail in the Recreation and Open Space Element. Public Safety Public safety services, including law enforcement and fire/emergency medical services, are unlike most other public services in that these services are delivered as needed on demand. Within the county, Fire/Emergency Medical Service Station locations are shown in Figure 2.24. A majority of the county population resides within a three mile radius of one of these locations. ➢ Law Enforcement For the unincorporated sections of the county, law enforcement is provided by the Indian River County Sheriffs Department through routine patrol and emergency dispatch. Those services are headquartered in a Central Sheriffs Office/Jail facility located in Gifford, in the central mainland area of the county. The municipalities of Vero Beach, Sebastian, Indian River Shores and Fellsmere provide police protection within their own corporate boundaries. The Florida State Police also provide routine traffic patrol on State and Federal Highways within the county. Correction facilities in the county are operated by the Sheriffs Department and the Florida Department of Corrections. Located on a 40 acre site in Gifford, just north of the Vero Beach Munieipa4Re ig onal Airport, the county jail facility is part of a complex occupied by the sheriffs administration, law enforcement and corrections divisions. Existing facilities include a 166,000 Future Land Use Element 67