OCFD's New Tower 7-1

Parked in front of the Convention Center for the MSFA Convention is OCFD's latest addition.

Tower 1 as lettered is a 2013 E-One "Cyclone II" 100-foot platform quint with 2000-gpm pump and 300-gallon water tank. This will run from HQ as Tower 7-1 displacing the '01 Hurricane" 95-foot tower (shop 705) that will most likely move to Station 5 as Tower 7-5. This will bring retirement (sob, sob) of the long serving Snorkel (shop 711) the '83 Pierce "Arrow" with '66 Pitman boom (once on a Ford "C" chassis).

Reportedly as well, OCFD has ordered a KME "Predator" engine-tanker to replace shop 719 the '89 International, Alexis and shop 720 the '82 International (ex Rescue 707 chassis), '90 Techweld (remounted locally in 1998) both at Station 5 as Tankers 7-5 & 7-5-1.

New For Ocean City FD

Photo from OCVFC.com

Back on December 12, 2011 the latest additions came to the Ocean City FD. Both are 2011 KME "Predator" models with 2000-gpm rated Waterous pumps, 550-gallon water tanks plus 50-gallon foam cells. Each is also equipped with a 15kw generator and with jaws for extrication duty. Both also are similar to the previous two KME's running as E4 & E16 Of greatest interest is their unit designations Engine 1 and Engine 2.While one of the engines to be replaced is E2 the '98 Interstate Mack rehabbed '85 Pierce Arrow the other is E9 a '85 Ford "F-700", Pierce with the current E1 a '01 Pierce "Dash". So what does this mean? Best guess is a re-numbering of OCFD suppression units so as to correspond with the station numbers like the medic units. Stay tuned as this bears further investigation. Next due by this spring is a new fire boat..

Water Rescue 1

A new unit designation Water Rescue 1 can be heard on OCFD radio. Here's what it is -shot at the recent Harbor Fest event. It's a 2005 +/- model year Chevy "Suburban" equipped with a slide out rear tray with SCUBA packs. The shop number is 789. A crew member believed it came from the FM office. It carries a line gun, various water rescue suits and related rescue devices. It is intended as a rapid access response vehicle better able to access the beach than say Rescue 7. It currently runs from Headquarters. OCFD has about a dozen certified divers and about twice as many rescue swimmers. Of course when the Beach Patrol is off duty (5:30pm-9:00 am summer and always in the off-season) surf rescue duty goes to the fire department. In other news the new fireboat is coming along and expected by spring 2012. As reported old Engine 12 the Spartan Alexis removed from service last spring has gone to the Glover FD in New Hampshire. To the south, Stockton is expecting very soon a new Peterbilt, Pierce elliptical tanker.

OC Area News

Now for a break in the B-CC Rescue Wagon history comes some news from the Greater Ocean City area. As covered in recent artiles by Christine Cullen in Ocean City Today and by JoAnne Shriner in The Dispatch, the Ocean City FD received approval by the Mayor and City Council this week to move ahead with some new purchases. One proposed some 5 years ago will be for a fireboat possibly to be built by Moore Boats a local company (owned by the owner of Seacrets) as they were the lowest bidder. The other additions will be two new engines to replace Engines 2, 9 and 12 (specs below) each to be retired. The Ocean City FD recently completed its apparatus replacement schedule and plans to standardize the fleet and the equipment layout of each piece as well as reduce its size. (I have 8 engines at peak not including the parade piece)  Of course KME is the suggested builder so as to match the last two new additions going to Engines 4 & 16.  

E 2   '85/94 Pierce "Arrow", '98 ITE 1250gpm/750gwt

E 9   '85 Ford "F-700", Pierce 1000gpm/500gwt

E 12  '91 Spartan "Gladiator", Alexis 1750gpm/750gwt/40gft

In other news the Berlin FCo has received its new Tanker 6 a mammoth Spartan, "Gladiator" Rosenbauer 1500gpm/4500gwt. Pics of this are on the company website apparatus page. Farther west, the Sharptown FD in Wicomico County is about to replace Truck 14 with a new 101-foor rear mount tower quint 1500gpm/500gwt. This tandem rear axle rig is on a Spartan chassis with Rosenbauer's custom "Commander AT" cab. Pics can be seen on the DPC Emergency Equipment's Facebook page. Both the Ocean City Roster and the Lower Eastern Shore Roster (that includes Ocean City) have been updated on the storefront.

OCFD New Station 5

On the evening of May 3 at 7 pm the Ocean City FD occupied and placed the new West Ocean City Station 5 in service. This 19,000 square foot 5-bay "big house" replaces a much smaller and outgrown 1974 built building that sat on the same site at 10124 Kyser Point Road north of US 50. Assigned are Engine 1, Engine 8 (parade piece), Tanker 19, Tanker 20, Tower 5, Rescue 18, Air 13 and Canteen 25 plus Ambulance 5 a non-staffed reserve currently using Shop 7704. For more and to watch the video check out ocvfc.com. With these assignments it is certain other aspects of the fleet have changed (like the whereabouts of Engine 2) hence the rosters will get updated after a recon.

Its Coming Along

An update on the progress of Ocean City FD Station 5. As you can see it is progressing nicely into a "big house" for the West Ocean City area. This off-island station is staffed entirely by the department's volunteers as most live nearby. For those unfamiliar, it is being built on the site of the previous station on Kyser Point Road north of US 50 in West Ocean City. Station 5 is assigned Engine 1, Engine 2, Tanker 19, Tanker 20 and Snorkel 11 (that is slated for replacement) plus Ambulance 5 a reserve. No doubt old Engine 8 the '53 Ford, American parade piece will likely live here as well. Visit our storefront for an Ocean City FD Roster.

Lower Shore Station News

Here's some local goings on that have been sitting in my 'to do' box far too long. Back in May, the Ocean City FD vacated Station 5. That is their West Ocean City house on Kyser Point Road north of US 50. Opened in 1974, this metal building with brick facade was expanded in 1991. The assigned engine and probably one of the tankers are next door at the Public Works Yard. The truck, other tanker and possibly reserve ambulance and boat are at Trimper's warehouse reportedly somewhere off Route 611 near the Ocean City Harbor area.

The vacated firehouse was subsequently razed. Construction is currently underway to build a new and much larger 5-bay station on site. This will certainly be far more accommodating of assigned units and the many volunteers running out of this house. This general area is where most of the OCFD's membership live and there has long been talk of a sort of alternate Headquarters here. Of course during the transition period when the OCVFCo merged with he OCDES and became the OCFD, the volunteers threatened at one point to leave the island (Stations 1-4 to the city) setting up from this location.

In other news just to the west in Wicomico County, the Parsonsburg VFCo Station 6 is about to move to its new more accommodating digs just east of the previous on Route 346 east of Parsonsburg Road. This 6-bay metal building has two drive through bays on left plus a large community hall at rear. Expected to open soon, this replaces their outdated circa 1927 facility they have so long occupied. For more on this, log onto parsonsburgfire.com.

Continuing west into Dorchester County, it seems the East New Market VFD Station 21 is also moving soon to a new 5-bay metal station. This replaces their much smaller 1948 occupied brick building at 101 Main Street at Railroad Avenue. That building was previously Neighbors Tavern, People's Service Station and originally Millenson's Department Store built about 1913 or 14. The location of the new house is as yet confirmed, believed to be south of town along Route 392. More to follow on this one. For info log onto eastnewmarketvfd.com.