Sussex opens newest paramedic station

Sussex County Emergency Medical Service's newest paramedic station is up and running. A ribbon was cut and the station building plaque was unveiled by county officials and EMS staff during a July 28 open house to dedicate the building.

Medic 105 - located near Ocean View - is one of three stations built and owned by the county. It's joined by Medic 102 near Laurel built in 2009 and Medic 106 near Long Neck opened in 2013. Next on the list is Medic 104 to be built along Plantation Road near Rehoboth Beach.

Robert Stuart, director of Sussex County EMS, said Medic 105 was one of the five original stations when the program started. It was housed for the past 23 years in a rented building on Route 17 owned by Larry and Sue and Kelly. It moved there after brief stays at the Delaware National Guard camp in Bethany Beach and the Millville Fire Co.

Stuart said growth and traffic congestion in the area has resulted in longer response times. Calls for service out of the station over the past two decades have tripled to 21,000 last year. “This is a better location, closer to our calls and better for future growth,” he said.

County Administrator Todd Lawson said the project was a team effort utilizing staff from EMS and the engineering, finance and information-technology departments. In addition, he said, it was the idea of Sussex Deputy Finance Director Kathy Roth to locate the facility on land owned by the county near the South Coastal Regional Wastewater Treatment Facility. “This was a great cost savings for the taxpayers,” Lawson said.

“It's a symbol of the county organization we are known for providing public safety to our visitors and residents,” Lawson said. “We will continue this model on stations we will own.”

Sussex EMS operates the following stations: 101, Lincoln; 102, Laurel; 103, Dagsboro; 104, Rehoboth Beach; 105, Ocean View; 106, Long Neck; 107, Bridgeville; 108, Georgetown; 110/200, Seaford.