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County hears EMS staffing and Betterton facility request; officials describe overtime, response‑time tradeoffs
Summary
EMS officials told commissioners of trouble staffing part‑time positions and asked the county to consider placing paid EMTs at the Betterton station after the volunteer fire company renovated space. Officials said some routes/stations run with overtime and cited typical rural response times around 15 minutes from central stations.
Kent County commissioners heard a staffing and facility request from emergency medical services officials who said part‑time EMT positions have been hard to fill and that stationing paid EMTs in Betterton could reduce response times in the eastern part of the county.
An EMS representative (Pete, speaking during the county budget session) explained that previous efforts to recruit part‑time EMTs have left shifts unfilled; as a result EMS uses overtime for existing staff to maintain around‑the‑clock coverage at the primary stations (Galena, Rock Hall and Chestertown). Pete said staffing gaps are especially acute when personnel rely on secondary employment and cannot pick up part‑time shifts.
Pete said the Betterton Volunteer Fire Company has purchased an ambulance and wants to renovate bunkroom space to make it habitable; one estimate discussed at the meeting for bunkroom renovation was about $45,000. EMS representatives proposed placing two paid EMTs in Betterton as guaranteed coverage for that call area, with paramedic staffing remaining centralized at the larger stations.
Elected officials asked about typical response times. EMS staff estimated response times from central quarters (Chestertown) would add roughly 12–15 minutes to some outlying calls; they said rural response times vary by location and that law‑enforcement responders often assist on medical calls when EMS is traveling longer distances.
Ending: There was no funding vote. Commissioners asked staff to include the Betterton renovation request and EMT staffing implications in upcoming budget deliberations and to provide more exact call and response statistics for the board to review.
