First Responders Play a Critical Role
Since September 11, 2001, a lot of attention has been placed on firefighters, ambulance service people and emergency medical technicians. With terrorism always a threat, we have been focused on the work of our first responders like never before.
Our community-based fire and ambulance companies play a critical role in keeping us safe. They are important to all residents, especially when those in need depend on them to respond to their calls quickly and effectively. Often someone’s life is on the line.
For the last year-and-a-half, I have visited fire and ambulance companies across the state and ridden with them as they served their communities. I have spent time with companies in Talleyville, Elsmere, Newark, Christiana, Middletown, Milford, Cheswold, Lewes, Georgetown and several others. While the situations and particular challenges of each district differ, each company benefits from the same dedicated, caring people who have chosen to make public safety a priority in their lives.
The purpose of my ride-alongs is to observe these companies in action and to learn and understand first-hand the challenges they face. Those challenges are substantial and varied and include such things as funding for personnel, keeping volunteers involved and overcrowded emergency rooms.
My interest and involvement with our ambulance services dates back more than a decade when I was Deputy Chief Administrative Officer for New Castle County. At that time, the county was considering funding for new radios and supplemental funding for fire companies in areas without full-time county ambulance services. The ambulance companies themselves were exploring third-party billing to meet the increased demand for service.
Since the early 90s, our first responders have continued to get better and more efficient at the job. In 1998, then-Governor Carper commissioned the Fitch Report, which was critical of the ambulance system statewide. The report concluded that the number of “scratches” or calls not serviced by the local department was too high and response times were too slow. After a task force examined the weaknesses identified in the Fitch Report, legislation sponsored by Rep. Bruce Ennis was enacted in the General Assembly to address those issues and improve the level of service.
A recent report commissioned by New Castle County and released by PWW Consulting concluded that those same companies that make up the “Basic Life Support” system in New Castle County have made significant improvements over the last several years, including improved call response times. Five years after the Fitch Report was released, this new report describes a system that does an excellent job in answering the call of its community. And while the PWW report is focused on New Castle County, those improvements are also apparent to me in Kent and Sussex counties.
The findings aren’t surprising to me. The fire service responded to the challenge laid down in the Fitch Report by addressing all the issues it identified. As a result, today scratches are almost non-existent, response times are much faster and EMTs are better trained. The result is better service for all Delawareans. Like every business or organization, our volunteer fire and ambulance departments have room for improvement. Some of those improvements could come from within. Some will only come with additional help from outside.
The report by PWW does point to a need for more coordination among New Castle County departments. That sort of consolidation may be the best thing for the system statewide in the future. The most significant change in the system over the last decade has been the movement from one that is almost exclusively made up of volunteers to one moving toward being mostly made up of paid staff supported by volunteers. That presents the dual challenge of supporting our services through fund raising while continuing to encourage the participation of volunteers.
Fortunately, many of the paid staffers serve as volunteers in their off-hours. The strong commitment that is common to all of these first responders is imperative as they deal with daily challenges. Traffic, overcrowded emergency rooms, ambulance diversions, an aging population, tenuous Medicare reimbursements and inappropriate calls for service are all common problems.
Each of the companies I have visited with over the past year-and-a-half is dealing with those challenges and others effectively. The PWW Consulting report is confirmation of the work done by New Castle County ambulance personnel. It mirrors what I have seen during my ride-alongs in all three of Delaware’s counties.
We owe these dedicated first responders our gratitude and our continuing support.
