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Friday, April 22, 2016

False fire calls cost resort significant money

An examination of fire department records showed the Ocean City Fire Department and the volunteer company responded to approximately 1,316 fire calls last year, and of those, 489 or about 37 percent came from preventable sources, including false alarms.

Ocean City Fire Department Deputy Chief Chuck Barton said the department uses the restitution amount the State’s Attorney can seek if filing charges against someone accused of initiating a false alarm. That amount, Barton said, is $475 per vehicle exclusive of personnel and certain other costs.

If that number is intended to only cover the cost of the response, and if only one piece of equipment responded to each of the 489 preventable calls, the total outlay by the resort to respond to the calls was $232,275 in 2015.

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2 comments:

Anonymous said...

The taxes and fines you dishout and your complaining? Better people call in and be nothing then scared to call for something real happening. Chalk it up to training and the fact your in a very populated city during the season. So sick of ocean city politicians, fire,cops and residents crying about everything! Move! Don't be so restricting to visitors, quit worrying about people smoking outside or playing a guitar on the boards! Fact is these things happen. Costbif doing business. Don't like responding to false alarms? Get new job. This job requires all calls taken seriously and for you to come to each one. The people pay enough taxes for this service.

Anonymous said...

This is why they are jacking out their parking fees. Make the general public pay for the few rich property owners. Just like rebuilding beachfront property with our tax money.