Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
New Castle County EMS adopts 'cold' response for most Charlie calls, cites data and safety
Summary
Assistant Chief Kelly Sarleach told the Public Safety Committee that New Castle County EMS will send paramedics to Charlie-level 911 calls without lights and sirens unless upgraded by BLS crews or dispatch data; staffing, survival rates and a field whole-blood program were also detailed.
New Castle County EMS briefed the council’s Public Safety Committee on staffing, outcomes and a recent operational policy change that limits the use of lights and sirens on most Charlie-level 911 calls. "The only difference is that Charlie level calls, they're going to be responding cold or without those lights and sirens," Assistant Chief Kelly Sarleach said, describing the Nov. 20 change.
Why it matters: Sarleach said the policy is "data driven" and intended to reduce crash risk for responders and the public. County review of 2025 calls showed Charlie-level incidents accounted for about 30% of patient contacts, but "less than 2% of them required a time sensitive…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
