Insurance Commissioner Navarro departs New Castle County fire planning meeting after disputed expectations

Delaware Insurance Commissioner Trinidad Navarro left a New Castle County Fire Service Strategic Planning Committee meeting on May 27 after a disagreement about whether he had been invited to give a formal presentation or simply answer questions.

Navarro attended the committee's meeting at the Government Center to field questions about insurance reimbursement, rescue billing and potential funding opportunities for fire companies. He told the committee he has worked closely with Delaware’s volunteer fire service and “remains willing to assist with legislative or regulatory solutions that may benefit fire companies.” He also said prior rescue-billing legislation was advanced with fire-service input but ultimately failed because counties and fire organizations lacked a statewide consensus on reimbursement structures.

The exchange escalated when Councilman Kevin Caneco and Commissioner Navarro disagreed about the expectations for Navarro’s participation; Navarro clarified he had agreed to a question‑and‑answer format and then departed the meeting. Co-Chair Dennis Godek apologized to Navarro and the committee later moved to authorize Co‑Chair Godek to contact the commissioner and invite him to return to a future meeting with a clearly defined format and expectations. The motion, moved by Bruce Pinkett and seconded by Dave Del Grande, passed 11–1.

Committee members discussed whether rescue-billing solutions require new legislation or could be addressed through administrative guidance, and highlighted concerns that New Castle County’s heavier reliance on career staffing and related operational costs may make statewide proposals less applicable locally. Members also considered coordinating through a proposed Delaware Volunteer Firefighters Association (DVFA) committee with representatives from each county to build broader consensus.

During public comment, an unnamed participant disputed the notion that Commissioner Navarro withdrew prior rescue-billing legislation, saying instead the proposal had been withdrawn by former DVFA leadership even though significant stakeholder work had gone into the draft.

The committee recorded the motion to re-invite Navarro and agreed that any future invitation should clearly state whether the commissioner is expected to present or to participate in a Q&A. Follow-up outreach to Commissioner Navarro and continued discussion of rescue-billing options were added to future agendas.