Mayor and council members praised a rapid, multilevel community response after a fire earlier this week at Courtyards at Fishing Creek that left dozens temporarily homeless.

Pastor Glenn Swanson of Bayside Baptist offered a prayer at the Nov. 20 meeting and told the council his church had raised about $20,000 to help displaced residents and was distributing gift cards, food and clothing. "We had people bringing food and water and coffee and clothing and... providing shelter," Swanson said.

Town staff, the North Beach Volunteer Fire Department and multiple neighboring jurisdictions joined private volunteers to coordinate rescue and immediate shelter. The North Beach Volunteer Fire Department described turning its firehouse into a command post and organizing dozens of volunteers and partner agencies for search efforts and support services. Council presented a certificate of appreciation to Zachary Hansen, who alerted residents in the building and helped evacuate neighbors.

Local businesses also provided immediate help. Mary Lanham and Wesley Donovan, owners of the Rod and Reel, provided hotel rooms for displaced families at no charge, a contribution the mayor and council publicly thanked. A resort employee, Amber, said Broad and Roll Resort staff and tenants had stepped in to supply snacks and assistance.

Council members repeatedly emphasized continued follow-up. The town administrator reported coordinated work with the county to prioritize housing for those affected and said staff were exploring changes to privately owned housing development regulations to reduce future risk. Council asked staff to continue case-level follow-up and to use the town's info@ChesapeakeBeachMD.gov portal for public requests.

Council members said more assistance will be needed as families settle and urged residents to volunteer and donate to ongoing relief efforts. The meeting concluded with additional certificates and recognition for other volunteers and businesses that supported relief operations.