The first ever Delmarva Fire Chief Forum was a success – organized by the Salisbury Area Chamber of Commerce

DELMARVA. – Fire chiefs across Delmarva gathered in Ocean City for a public forum Thursday. This was the first forum organized by the Salisbury Area Chamber of Commerce.

The hope was for chiefs to collaborate on new ideas, said Commerce President Bill Chambers. “Having the fire chiefs from assorted towns and cities across Delmarva was the perfect fit. It’ll be interesting for our business community to hear about what challenges they’re facing.”

Mental health, recruitment, and staffing were some of the biggest topics for the first responders. Chief Chris Robertson is the state fire supervisor for the Maryland Department of Natural Resources and presented at the event.

He was happy to share his insights on the core ideas.

“To get integrated with these chiefs and the municipal departments on wildfires, we all do it together. None of us can do it alone.”

One of Chief Robertson’s duties is preventing potential wildfires. He hopes to continue sharing and hearing unique perspectives. “I think it’s good to get all the chiefs together and discuss some issues that are going on in the fire service today.”

Chambers explained to WMDT that was the whole idea – to help public safety leaders collaborate – and learn together.

“Their perspectives are unique and interesting, and their challenges, while similar, still face unique challenges based on the city or town they represent.”