Hundreds turned out for the annual Ocean City Fire Department Open House on Thursday at department headquarters at 550 Asbury Avenue.
They came to enjoy the small-town event, some complimentary food and drink, and a handful of activities geared toward teaching children how to act and react in a fire situation.
But a highlight this year was a live fire demonstration in which two mock rooms — only one protected by a sprinkler system — were ignited. The exercise showed the public how quickly fire alarms are activated (about 23 seconds after the first flames were visible), how quickly firefighters might respond on average and how quickly the room became engulfed.
The annual event coincides with national Fire Prevention Month and gives the community a chance to learn more about how the department works.
From learning to “stop, drop and roll” to using a fire extinguisher to douse flames, Ocean City youth got a chance to learn by doing.
Off-duty firefighters from Ocean City Firefighters FMBA Local 27 volunteer their time to produce the event.
