Questions criticism of north fire station

Editor,

The following responds to Al Keeney’s inaccurate characterization of the Ocean Pines Volunteer Fire Department North Station.

In contrast to Mr. Al Keeney’s highly inaccurate statements about the Ocean Pines Volunteer Fire Department North Station, the North Station is far from a storage unit.

A little background – In the 1970s, the OPVFD stationed a fire engine and an ambulance in two bays attached to the old Community Center.

The purpose was to provide service to the residents in the growing north section of Ocean Pines.

The benefit of providing an engine and volunteers in north Ocean Pines was that the International Standards Organization (ISO) rating provided reduced insurance costs to north Ocean Pines residents.

As the north section grew, the need for services grew which made the Community Center North Station inadequate.

To answer this need, the current North Station was built in 2008. Today, the North Station continues to house first-line firefighting equipment.

Currently, 25 volunteer members operate out of North Station and respond to calls for service in Ocean Pines as well as mutual aid communities.

These highly trained volunteers are NFPA, National Proboard, and State of Maryland certified.

As recently as 2020, our ISO agent advised that loss of North Station would likely result in a change in ISO rating which would increase the insurance costs of North Ocean Pines residents.

To reiterate, the OPVFD North Station is a fully operational and active fire house serving our community.

David VanGasbeck, President
Steven Grunewald, Chief
Ocean Pines Volunteer Fire Dept.