OCEAN CITY- The leadership of the Ocean City Volunteer Fire Company were reassured on Tuesday they are still the lead agency in the umbrella of sorts that covers fire service in the resort during a two-hour heart-to-heart with the Mayor and Council, but a mysterious memorandum of understanding encouraging the volunteer outfit to work more closely with the paid emergency services department was extended.
Public safety for Ocean City is the top priority for each of the allied agencies that collaborate in the resort, but it was called into question recently which should be the lead agency, or “senior partner” as it was often called on Tuesday. A plan circulated in January that never saw the light of day called for the paid emergency services group to become the lead agency, while the 102-year-old OCVFC would be relegated to a lesser role, or, at the very least, an equal role with the paid emergency services agency.
After the cordial, but somewhat terse meeting with the Mayor and Council on Tuesday, the OCVFC was assured its leadership role was not being diminished, at least in the short term, and the volunteer group agreed to work with the paid Emergency Services group in the coming months to get a better understanding of each agency’s role. For the complete story, see The Dispatch on Friday.