While so many come to Ocean City for fun in the sun, there are many men and women who spend most of their time in Ocean City dedicated to protecting the community and making it a safe and enjoyable place to visit. Much of their work is behind the scenes; however, this weekend, the Ocean City Fire Department is hosting a public safety expo highlighting the tireless work of Ocean City’s public safety forces.
The event will include demonstrations from many emergency services departments, including the Ocean City Police Department, Maryland State Police, the OC Beach Patrol, and more.
One of the featured groups is OCPD’s mounted horse patrol, i.e., the Mounted Unit. The mounted patrol is often used at large events in OC for crowd control because of a horse’s height advantage, which places the mounted officer at a more accessible vantage point to spot disturbances or break up crowds. They are an integral part of maintaining safety at our most prominent events.
An exciting demonstration planned for the expo is by the K-9 unit. They are showcasing the K-9 unit’s extraordinary abilities, which include drug detection, suspect apprehension, and search and rescue operations. The intelligence, agility, and unwavering loyalty of these four-legged officers is nothing short of amazing!
The featured event of the expo is the landing and take-off of Maryland State Police’s Trooper 4 Helicopter. The skilled pilots of Trooper 4 will demonstrate the aerial capabilities of the MSP aviation unit. These helicopters are an incredibly vital resource for the state offering critical support in search and rescue operations, suspect tracking, and assisting with medical emergencies.
Another exciting demonstration planned is the water rescues. In our coastal town, water safety is a huge part of protecting the public. We have the dedicated OC Beach Patrol that keeps swimmers safe while enjoying our beautiful beach, but in the event of more severe water emergencies, aviation and boats are used to locate and rescue. These highly trained water rescue teams provide an invaluable resource that is an integral part of maintaining the safety of everyone at the beach.
Also, the 911 Mobile Command will be at the expo. These vehicles are the headquarters when major emergency events occur. The mobile command manages the response and provides onsite communications between response teams and commanders. It is a critical part of maintaining order in the chaos during the emergency response to a major incident.
Several other units are attending, with more demonstrations planned along with activities for families to participate in. The expo is being held at Northside Park on Friday from 1-4pm. Check out our event page for more details.
