Kent County breaks ground on two new EMS stations in the fast-growing southern part of the county.
The two new stations will be staffed 24/7 by paramedics. Kent County Acting Director of Public Safety John Tinger says the stations - one in Harrington and one in Frederica - will augment the coverage provided by existing area fire companies.
“[When a] 911 call comes in for someone who’s sick or injured, they'll send an ambulance from Frederica, and if it's serious, they'll send the paramedic unit from this station here," he said.
The EMS expansion comes at a time and in places where the county is seeing rapid, significant growth.
“This right now down in Frederica is in what's called the growth zone for Kent County," Tinger said. "So it's the area that has been identified to be able to sustain more developments because the infrastructure is right there. This unit right here is a pivotal unit that's going to be able to handle that influx of the developments that's happening down in this corridor.”
Tinger says the addition of the new facilities is important as the county continues to grow, and notes the Frederica station’s proximity to a major road is a big plus.
“This allows us to have a station that has quick accessibility to Route One, to serve Frederica, and also all the way up into Bowers [Beach] and Magnolia.”
The roughly $5 million price tag for the two stations is being paid for by American Rescue Plan Act funds. The two facilities are expected to be completed by December.
