OCEAN CITY, Md. -- The Ocean City Volunteer Fire Company plans to relocate from the resort's corporate limits to West Ocean City because town leaders did not select the volunteer fire chief to be head of all firefighting operations and administration, Fire Chief Chris Larmore announced Wednesday.
"I appreciate the opportunity to have served you faithfully over the years, and regret this final outcome," Larmore said in a prepared statement.
The volunteer membership of the fire company plans to relinquish fire and rescue services to Ocean City's paid firefighters and move personnel and equipment to its West Ocean City station on Keyser Point Road. When this will happen has yet to be determined; Larmore said the volunteers will continue to provide service until the town can provide its own fire service.
Ocean City employs 75 full-time and part-time fire/EMS employees, according to Joe Theobald, director of Emergency Services. The town's 2008 budget provides $1.6 million for the fire company. The fire company also gets money from state and county grants, and through fundraising. The volunteers own their equipment and their buildings.
The decision to move is an immediate result of Tuesday's Ocean City Town Council meeting, at which Larmore presented the fire company's annual review and petitioned for the job of interim fire chief overseeing paid and volunteer firefighters. He cited his goal to unify fire service under a single operational and administrative leader characterized by "honesty, integrity and leadership." More than 50 volunteer firefighters, cadets and EMS workers came to the meeting in a show of support for their chief.
In a 3-3-1 vote, council members did not support hiring Larmore.
Larmore called the town's decision to continue with two leaders "an unacceptable safety practice" that will maintain "a divided fire service." He also said by not getting the job as a full-time chief, he would be "forced to return to an unsound and dual command structure where truth is alien and duplicity rules."
Town Councilman Jay Hancock, who voted for Larmore to get the job, hopes negotiations can prevent the fire company from setting up shop across the Route 50 bridge.
"I think people can get together and work this out and come up with some sort of an interim solution to resolve the difficulties," he said. "I think it's unfortunate for everyone they've taken this position, and I hope a resolution can be achieved before the fire company ends its relationship with the town of Ocean City."
For much of the fire company's 103-year history, the volunteer fire chief has been the de facto chief for all Ocean City, with responsibility and liability of controlling a fire scene -- but none for administrative decisions like training or purchasing, said fire company spokesman Steve Price.
Now, town leaders have said they wish to, at some point soon, initiate a long-term nationwide search for a new, permanent chief with all those duties. The mayor and Town Council have stated they want that new chief to be beholden to them, at one point asking Larmore if they would be allowed to fire him, if need be.
Working under the town's "convoluted management scheme ... makes this an impossible task," Larmore said. "The OCVFC cannot function under this umbrella of distrust and deceit."
Secession plans took shape at a meeting of the fire company's membership Tuesday night, hours after the Town Council meeting. Price said available members deliberated for three and a half hours before voting.
"It's not something that the fire company took lightly," he said. "We were disappointed. The membership was very frustrated with what had happened. We didn't think what the chief was asking for was unreasonable."
"We think we provide a very efficient service to the community and we provide that service at a minimum cost. Someway, somehow, that manpower issue will have to be made up," Price said.
Founded in 1905, the OCVFC has 237 members on its roster, with 72 active. The group owns and operates five stations, including its headquarters at 1409 Coastal Highway, according to its Web site.
Republished with permission of The Daily Times.
