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New Castle County EMS chief flags coverage gaps south of C&D Canal, seeks funding for full‑time Medic 10 and new facility
Summary
Chief Mark Logerman presented 2024 response maps showing concentrated call volume in Wilmington and Newark and two southern hotspots; he described staffing challenges for Medic 10 (Boyd's Corner) and detailed cross‑county responses with Kent County, and reported a state reimbursement increase to 35% in the governor's FY26 revised budget.
Mark Logerman, chief of Emergency Medical Services for New Castle County, presented a data‑driven overview of county EMS responses in 2024 and focused on coverage south of the Chesapeake & Delaware Canal.
Logerman displayed a map showing call concentrations in Wilmington, along the I‑95 corridor and in Newark, and identified two southern hotspots near Boyd’s Corner and Middletown that coincide with current paramedic station locations. He said the county has two primary EMS stations in the southern area: Station 5 (605 North Broad Street) and Station 10 (a power‑shift unit located at Odessa Fire Station 4). "That map there... the red triangle, each red triangle is a response that a New Castle County Paramedic unit made in the year 2024," Logerman said.
Logerman said Medic 10 at Boyd’s Corner operates as a power shift from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. "Full coverage is we had 7AM to 7PM covered by 2 paramedics," he said; the chief said some days had only partial coverage or a single paramedic on duty. He explained county protocol requires a two‑paramedic response and that agreements with local fire companies allow a single paramedic to transport a patient while the second paramedic remains to preserve coverage.
On cross‑county responses, Logerman said Newcastle County units responded into Kent County 50 times in 2024; within the area formally covered by Smyrna and Clayton fire companies, the county made 25 responses. Council members raised equity and funding concerns: Councilman Carter said Kent County taxpayers may be subsidizing services delivered in southern New Castle County and urged review of intercounty arrangements, and Councilman Street emphasized mental‑health support for first responders.
Delaware City Mayor Paul Johnson and community member Rob Bullock urged full‑time staffing for Medic 10 and additional funding for paramedics, with Johnson noting frequent partial coverage and that southern areas are more dispersed and take longer to reach hospitals. Logerman said the county receives 30% reimbursement from the state for paramedic services and that Governor Meyer's revised FY26 budget proposes to increase that to 35%.
Logerman also briefed the committee on planning for an EMS/Public Safety building near Route 13 and Boyd's Corner Road. He said design consultants have submitted proposals to Public Works, the county has requested letters of support from the congressional delegation and staff would present a revised budget to the executive office. Public Works is reportedly structuring the design to allow phasing so a facility could be built in stages; the committee did not receive a final cost estimate in the meeting.
Ending: Council members asked for follow‑up data on out‑of‑district responses and encouraged consideration of funding options to make Medic 10 full time; the committee heard public support for increased paramedic coverage and more mental‑health support for first responders.
