Ocean Pines Vol. Fire Dept. increasing safety education for residents amid recent fatal fire
OCEAN PINES, Md. – “No community, no fire department, no emergency personnel ever want that to be the outcome or have to respond to a call like that,” Lt. Enste said.
That call, a house fire on the corner of Seafarer Lane in Ocean Pines that claimed the life of a 62-year man Tuesday night.
The tragedy left the community both mourning and with questions. “I think the idea of understanding and accepting the fact that it happened, recognizing it, and then take an opportunity to kind of reinforcement the importance of safety in our community,” Ocean Pines Association President Doug Parks said.
To get those answers and provide some comfort, The Ocean Pines Volunteer Fire Department hosted a community canvas event Saturday with a goal of increasing residents knowledge on fire safety.
Fire personnel went door to door throughout the neighborhood with materials like fire safety checklists and free smoke alarms with 10-year sealed batteries. “We volunteering to go in and test the alarms and also kind of do an evaluation of where their alarms are and if they need more,” Lt. Enste said.
Now with the smoke settled, this tight-knit community says they’re ready to move forward together. “I just live right around the corner from here and I did hear all of the fire engines coming down the road,” Ocean Pines Association Vice President Rick Farr said.
“Alot of the neighbors are very, very friendly and know each other. So, for a tragedy like this to happen it’s just very unfortunate.”
OPVFD’s Lt. Joe Enste says that also means continuing the conversation of education. “It starts with prevention. That’s the best way to prevent a fire is to have conversations and make that all your ducks are in a row,” Lt. Enste said.
The Ocean Pines Volunteer Fire Department tells us their efforts won’t stop with that event, as they plan to continue reaching out to residents and will share additional safety tips on social media.
The cause of Tuesday night’s fire is still unknown.
