Ocean City Fire Departments touts response times, hiring, as part of 2023 season report

OCEAN CITY, Md. -The Ocean City Fire Department released its 2023 Year End Report, which highlights the department’s unwavering dedication and continued excellence in safeguarding the community. The report underscores the OCFD’s successes and advancements over the past year in a detailed narrative included in the report, ahead of the 2024 summer season.

Fire Chief Richard R. Bowers expressed his pride in the department’s achievements, stating, “Last year, the Ocean City Fire Department demonstrated exceptional dedication and professionalism, ensuring the safety and well-being of our community amidst increasing demands. Our personnel have faced numerous challenges with resilience and excellence, confirming our commitment to the highest standards of emergency services.”

The Department touted faster response times, the addition of new paramedic engine units and staff as well as an under-five-minute response time for incidents throughout their jurisdiction.

The year also saw the launch of the Instrument Flight Rules Landing Zone to help pilots fly patients through poor visibility conditions.

Chief Richard Bowers tells WMDT he is also proud of just how many calls the department was able to respond to.

“We are able to maintain a response time in the city for EMS calls at 3 minutes and 42 seconds. Our fire response time in the city limits is 4 minutes and 15 seconds, which is pretty tremendous, so our men and women are operationally focused and operationally ready at all times,” Bowers said.

Chief Bowers says the department expanded its community safety initiatives, significantly increasing community engagement through programs like CPR training and “Stop the Bleed” workshops.