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Council asked to decide whether to continue countywide EMS planning; staff says hiring EMS coordinator is next step
Summary
Work session discussion left the county with a decision point: hire an EMS coordinator to lead countywide EMS planning or pause the planning process. Staff said the coordinator is needed to carry the SWOT recommendations into operational proposals; council can choose to fund the position or halt the countywide EMS effort.
Wicomico County staff told the council that the next formal step in countywide emergency medical services planning is to hire an EMS coordinator to lead analysis, stakeholder outreach and the operational design necessary to implement any change.
Staff said the state had advised against contracting out some elements and recommended an internal coordinator to guide the transition if the county elects to pursue consolidated or county-supported EMS arrangements. Council members were given two choices: fund the EMS coordinator and continue the planning process, or decline the position and halt the next steps.
Why it matters: EMS structure affects response times, interoperability with municipal fire departments, and long-term operating costs. The coordinator role was described as essential to analyze the SWOT study results, meet with fire chiefs and other stakeholders, and produce a clear implementation plan for countywide EMS options.
Details
- State guidance and next step: Staff reported the state recommended not doing the contracted route for the next phase and said the county must staff an EMS coordinator if the county wants to pursue countywide EMS arrangements.
- Role of the coordinator: Analyze the SWOT results, interview fire chiefs, assess one-on-one contracts versus county-employed staffing models, identify cost and governance options, and produce recommended next steps.
- Decision point: Council members were told that cutting the coordinator position would effectively halt the countywide EMS planning process. If the council wants to proceed, the coordinator hire and associated funding must be approved.
Quotes
"Having an EMS coordinator is the next step regardless of what direction we go in," a staff presenter said. "If we don't want to do it this year or council does not want to fund the position, then we'll cut it, but that does halt that entire process."
Follow-up actions and council direction
- Council did not make a final funding decision during the work session. Staff asked the council to decide whether to authorize the EMS coordinator position so planning can continue; if the council declines, the SWAT-based planning effort pauses.
Provenance
- topicintro: discussion begins when staff raises the state recommendation and the coordinator role (transcript time ~4072.87): "So we talked, Lorenzo talked to the state...the state has highly recommended that we do not do this contractually at all..." - topfinish: staff reiterates coordinator is the next step and that council must decide to continue or halt (transcript time ~4249.57): "So if we cut the position, it's halted at that point in time."
