Expanded funding aims at ensuring 24/7 coverage  for all of Worcester County

By Jack Chavez

(May 20, 2021) The Worcester County Commissioners voted 6-0 to approve an $8.36 million FY22 budget for fire and EMS companies during their budget work session on May 11.

“It’s a very expensive mandate but this gives us (the assurance) throughout the county that we’re not that one (mishap) away from a major disaster where there’s nobody to show up,” County Commissioner President Joe Mitrecic said.

The decision came after multiple deliberations among the commissioners and meetings between Mitrecic and Commissioners Josh Nordstrom and Jim Bunting with various fire company officials from around the county.

That committee produced the approved figure, ­­which came in at approximately $40,000 less than the original FY22 request and is just under $1 million less than the actual FY21 budget.

The budget provides for around-the-clock crews for fire and EMS services across the county: five crews in Ocean City, two crews in each of Pocomoke, Snow Hill and Berlin, one crew in each of Bishopville, Showell and Newark, and one crew for both Stockton and Girdletree.

Commissioner Chip Bertino asked the commissioners who met with emergency service officials if this is the number they should expect to see in the future.

Mitrecic said it will probably be more in the years ahead.

“This is what gives them what they consider a minimal, true coverage of the (entire) county,” Mitrecic said. “Hopefully, what will evolve is a way to pay for it beyond the general budget.”

Bunting pointed to the ambulance operating budget formula that county fire and EMS officials have come up with, which asks for $450,000 per ambulance.

“At (the commissioners’) request, we said let’s do that and then we’ll have a full auditing of how it’s worked out and have a more accurate number to work with next year,” Bunting said.

The goal of the budget is to “make the department whole” this year, Mitrecic said, and provide a blueprint for determining future budgets, which had been lacking in recent years.

In underscoring the importance of adequate funding, Mitrecic pointed to the multi-vehicle wreck on Route 90 earlier this month in which a toddler was rescued after being ejected into Assawoman Bay.

“To be honest with you, if it hadn’t been for Bethany Beach (and Roxana) we would have really been in trouble,” Mitrecic said. “And they’re not even in the same state.”

“What could happen in an extreme situation is there’s nobody to come. There’s no ambulance to run … This (amount) is what (fire companies) say they need to make sure that does not happen.”

Commissioner Diana Purnell asked if the purpose of this decision is to shift fire department funding completely to the county.

Mitrecic said it was not and that these numbers are the means to find the funding source down the road.

“That’s what the ultimate goal is, but we have to get to where (we know) what that actually costs is before we figure out the funding source,” Mitrecic said.