Live-in program saves city $600K in salaries

Responding to the City Council’s questions on the financial return Ocean City Volunteer Fire Company’s live-in program, fire department leaders issued a report that determines the program saves the city somewhere between $600,000 to $1 million a year.

That amount reflects the 40 to 48 hours per week of wages Ocean City would need to pay a career firefighter instead of relying on the 10 on-duty volunteers who stay in fire stations free. Underlying costs and benefits do not factor into that estimate, according to the report.

The low-end of the cost range reflects time that officials have to wait for live-ins to receive physicals, therefore officially starting the job. The $1 million amount demonstrates a full shift without rounding, such as a volunteer arriving five minutes late.

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