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Sussex County Council approves new county EMS unit in Milton

A new EMS unit is being added in Milton to try to reduce response times in Sussex County. 

Sussex County Council unanimously approved a plan to add a County EMS unit at the CHEER activity center in Milton starting next year. 

This comes about a week after plans from Bayhealth and Beebe Healthcare to add freestanding emergency departments in the region were halted.

Robby Murray is the Deputy Director of Administration for Sussex EMS. He says the new Milton unit will reduce a 16-minute average response time in the area, and lessen the burden on existing units in Georgetown, Lewes, Longneck and Milford. 

“Over the last couple of years we’ve noticed an increase in that response time—the units not coming from stations because they’re already on calls so we’re having to send secondary units there,” said Murray. “So putting a unit in the Milton area, in this particular case the CHEERS center, will certainly increase the response time in those areas.” 

The rate of Sussex County’s population growth has been on the rise in recent years. Murray says EMS call volume has increased with it.

“So the ability to put that paramedic unit in Milton will certainly cover not only the Milton area well, but it will give us the opportunity to backfill when Lewes, Rehoboth gets busy,” said Murray. “That unit will be able to slide down there and help cover those areas as well.” 

Under the lease agreement, Sussex County will pay CHEER, Inc., $100 a month starting in October.

The EMS vehicle is being repurposed from another location. Existing EMS staff will be reassigned to the location as well.

The unit will cover a daily 12 hour shift during the peak call period between 7 am and 7pm.

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