OCEAN CITY — After Ocean City’s firefighter paramedic union president made an impassioned plea for help from the town’s elected officials on Monday, Ocean City Fire Chief Chris Larmore fired back with a detailed explanation why an ambulance crew is no longer being sent to every automatic fire alarm.
On Monday, Career Firefighter Paramedics Association of Ocean City, or Local IAFF 4269, President Ryan Whittington told the Mayor and Council a new schedule change that resulted in the traditional three 24-hour shifts followed by 72 hours off rotation had already caused a reduction in service. Whittington explained the response to an automatic fire alarm at a high-rise building of over seven stories in recent years has included a fire engine and an ambulance crew.
However, Whittington said a recent memo from the Ocean City Fire Department (OCFD) leadership had eliminated the inclusion of an ambulance crew on every level 2, or high-rise, automatic fire alarm. The union chief said the elimination of the ambulance crew on a high-rise automatic fire alarm was a direct result of the elimination of the old 24-72 rotation.
Larmore quickly disputed the notion the removal of an ambulance crew on automatic fire alarms had anything to do with the schedule change implemented last October. In a memo to City Manager Doug Miller on Tuesday, the very next day after Whittington’s impassioned plea to the Mayor and Council, Larmore said the ambulance to automatic fire alarms issue had more to do with the reallocation of resources than any perceived difficulties with the new schedule change.
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4 comments:
Seems like a waste for an ambulance to roll on every alarm call. Any statistics to prove the need for one?
That clown should never have been hired as a fire chief. What an idiot.
And then the Union guy? Flaming Ryan! Ironically Flaming Ryan is also "employed" by OC town council member Wayne Hartman, who is running for Mary Beth Carozzo's State Delegate seat.
the dead beat clueless fire chief can only blow smoke to the council for so long. the numbers dont lie.all the problems started with the schedule change. wait til they see the overtime budget that the chief said would not affect payroll.he needs to go before they lose anymore seasoned people. they are getting ready to lose about 8 more part timers.so sad!
It’s about the manpower. One engine with 3 people isn’t enough and is unsafe. Having the ambulance also in the call provided three more people. Those few more people are necessary, especidkky if the alarm turns out to actually be something.
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