OCEAN CITY — The town of Ocean City this week announced two long-time firefighters and paramedics with 54 years of public service have retired and taken positions in neighboring communities.
John Holloway and Larry Sackadorf joined the town’s career division full time in 1987 and each has spent their careers with the Ocean City Fire Department as firefighters and paramedics.
In addition to Sackadorf’s work as a career paid firefighter in the resort, he also served as a line officer in the volunteer division where he held at different times the position of lieutenant and captain. While his formal responsibilities included providing emergency first response to the residents and visitors to Ocean City, Sackadorf developed the Sam Box project at Northside Park and was perhaps best known for establishing and organizing the annual 9-11 motorcycle parade on the Boardwalk each September.
Throughout his career, Sackadorf obtained numerous certifications in the fields of fire suppression and EMS. He is a nationally recognized paramedic and is certified in advance cardiac life support, advanced pre-hospital trauma life support and pediatric advanced life support. He was a rescue technician, hazardous materials technician and aerial operations technician. Sackadorf also obtained his master diver scuba certification.
“I want to thank all of my co-workers and city officials for the support that I have received over the past nearly 30 years of my involvement with the fire department,” he said this week.
Holloway’s formal responsibilities also included providing emergency first response to the residents and visitors of Ocean City. In 2000, he was in the first group of Fire/EMS career division employees to be promoted to lieutenant. During his time with the OCFD, Holloway served on the Worcester County Health Department Crisis Response Team Advisory Board. A career highlight was serving on the Maryland Fire Rescue Training and Education Commission.
“It has been an honor to serve with some of the most professional, dedicated and skilled paramedics and firefighters in the service,” said Holloway. “I would like to give special thanks to everyone who made my career so fulfilling and rewarding, especially those at the beginning of my career who taught me, mentored and guided me and gave me the opportunity to serve.”
Holloway has accepted a position as supervisor for the Snow Hill Fire Department and Sackadorf has accepted a position with the Berlin Fire Department.