Ocean City Fire prepared for any emergency with Fire Boat 1 training

OCEAN CITY, Md. – Crowds are gathering in Ocean City for the White Marlin Open. With the increased need for safety, fire officials are staying prepared for any emergency.

Ocean City’s Fire Department is doing so with Fire Boat 1, a specialized vessel used to respond to emergencies on the water, according to Ryan Whittington, a department spokesperson.

“A boat that can rescue people during distress in the water, put out a fire on the water, or handle any type of vessel accident that may occur in the bay or ocean,” Whittington said.

WMDT’s Ronnell Foreman took a cruise on the bay to see the operation firsthand. Most White Marlin Open competitors must travel far offshore to catch the biggest fish.

Thomas Adkins, who competes in the tournament’s largest billfish category, said the pressure is intense.

“It’s stressful, obviously. Tournament fishing is all like that — you miss one, you might cost the boat $1 million,” he said. “Especially up here, how much you can win. It’s nuts.”

Whittington said officials regularly practice to maintain proficiency. He emphasized that emergencies can occur at any time.

“Just last week, one of our fireboat rescue swimmers deployed from the boat and saved someone in the Ocean City Inlet,” he said. “If our boat had not been out at the time, it could’ve been a different story for that victim.”