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Salisbury officials present three-year fire/EMS funding proposal to Wicomico Council
Summary
Salisbury Mayor and Fire Chief Ralph Frampton outlined a proposed three-year funding agreement and a $3 million catch-up payment spread over three years for county calls handled inside and outside city limits; councilmembers debated term length and cost-of-readiness items.
Salisbury Mayor Derek Taylor and Fire Chief Ralph Frampton appeared in the council’s open work session to present a draft three-year fire and emergency medical services (EMS) agreement that would increase county support for Salisbury fire and special operations.
Chief Frampton said the city wants a stable, multi-year arrangement that spreads previously unpaid costs over three years and preserves current emergency service coverage. “In 2024, Salisbury responded to 17,026 calls. That's up 4.4% from 2023 and is more than the rest of the entire county's fire and EMS put together,” Frampton told the council, noting that about 32% of the city’s calls in 2024 were outside municipal limits.
Proposal breakdown presented by the city (summary provided by chief during the meeting): - Year 1: $725,000 per district (Salisbury has three districts) or parity with whatever the county funds volunteer departments; special-operations allocation $250,000; $1,000,000 to address unpaid call-related costs from the first half of 2024. - Year 2: $800,000 per district; special operations $275,000; $1,000,000 for the second half of 2024. - Year 3: $900,000 per district; special operations $300,000; concluding $1,000,000 settlement. Frampton emphasized the city would accept parity with county funding levels for volunteer departments if the county increased those amounts.
Council members raised questions about response patterns, use of apparatus while on non-emergency errands, insurance reimbursement trends (audited collection rate around 31–32% with an average collection of about $337 per transport), and whether a two-year agreement might be preferable to a three-year term given potential changes in county leadership and budget during that period. Frampton and Mayor Taylor described the city’s request as an effort to recover costs, preserve existing service levels and plan budgets.
Council members flagged long-term options such as standing up county-run stations or contracting out financial/accounting work to reduce audit delays; both city and county officials noted some services (for example, a fireboat or heavy rescue) may still require mutual aid even if the county built separate capacity.
No formal vote occurred; the presentation represented a basis for further negotiations between city and county officials.
