New Castle County EMS

Address: 3601 N. Dupont Highway New Castle, DE 19720 • Map This Department Emergency Dispatch Phone: 911 Business Phone: 302-571-7948 Fax: Department Web Site: http://www.nccpd.com/ems.htm Related Web Site: Email: EMS@co.new-castle.de.us About New Castle County EMS: New Castle County Police, Emergency Medical Services proudly protects 460000 people living in an area of 437 square miles. We operate out of 7 stations that protect a primarily residential area. Our department is a public department whose members are on a paid status. NOTE: This is NOT the Official NCC*EMS Homepage. Click on the above link to get to the Official Home Page. CURRENT OPERATIONS The Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Section is a component of the Emergency Services Branch of the New Castle County Police Department. The EMS Section is responsible for the delivery of prehospital advanced life support (paramedic) services to the entire 437 square miles of the County. The agency provides paramedic services to both the incorporated and unincorporated areas, including the City of Wilmington and City of Newark. The EMS Section operates seven (7) paramedic units on a 24-hour basis. The paramedic units operate in a tiered-response configuration with the basic life support (BLS) ambulances of the volunteer fire service and contractual ambulance service providers. New Castle County paramedics utilize type II ambulances, Chevrolet Suburban response units, and sedan response units for delivery of service. New Castle County paramedics are certified through the state Board of Medical Practice, and utilize statewide standardized treatment protocols and standing orders for delivery of advanced life support (ALS). County paramedics are authorized to initiate ALS procedures prior to direct radio contact with a medical control physician. New Castle County has fully implemented a 12-lead ECG program on all paramedic units. The EMS Section is commanded by an Emergency Services Assistant Manager, who is assisted by an Emergency Services Team Leader. The section is divided into four (4) shifts, or platoons, which are supervised by two (2) Emergency Medical Services Supervisors. The Emergency Services Assistant Manager reports to an Emergency Services Manager, who is also responsible for the Communications Section, and is ultimately responsible to the Chief of Police. Dispatch is conducted through a centralized communications center, utilizing the Medical Priority Dispatch System (MPDS) protocols. All fire and EMS communications for all areas of New Castle County are handled through the same dispatch center. The County uses an 800 MHz digital trunked radio system for dispatch and medical control communications to the hospital. HISTORY OF EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES In the NEW CASTLE COUNTY GOVERNMENT The New Castle County Ambulance Service was initiated under the County Levy Court system with a single ambulance covering all of New Castle County, including the City of Wilmington in 1933. Another unit dedicated to Wilmington later augmented the single ambulance. During this phase, County Levy Court ambulances had a caseload comprised of approximately fifty- percent medical emergencies and fifty- percent non-emergency transports to and from hospitals, clinics and doctor’s offices. In May 1961, services were expanded to include another unit dedicated to the areas south of the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal. With the increases in demand for emergency and non-emergency service, the County Ambulance Service expanded once again to permit the designation of vehicles and personnel exclusively for emergency responses. During 1974, the County Ambulance Division and the Wilmington Medical Center, Delaware Heart Association, and Doctors for Emergency Service initiated a joint effort to establish advanced life support (ALS) paramedic services as a pilot program. The ALS paramedic program represented an entirely different concept in pre-hospital patient care. The first paramedic unit was based in the City of Wilmington. It remained a pilot program for the next four years while several studies were undertaken to determine the methods to be used for any further expansion of the ALS services. The most noteworthy of these studies were the reports by the Arthur D. Little Company and the Emergency Medical Services Task Force Report. As the need and value of paramedic services was realized, the County initiated an expansion into the areas outside the City of Wilmington. In 1978 a second paramedic unit was stationed in the area south of the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal. Over the next two years, much effort went into the planning and coordinating of both existing and future services. The Ambulance Advisory Board was established to meet these planning needs, and developed a five station plan. Additionally, non-emergency transportation services were discontinued in order to concentrate on the proposed ALS paramedic services program expansion. From 1980 to 1982 the Ambulance Division completed its most rapid period of expansion. Paramedic units were added to the New Castle, Newark and Brandywine Hundred areas to complete the five station deployment plan, and total coverage of New Castle County by advanced life support services was achieved. During November of 1989, a County Council ordinance officially changed the name of the Department of Public Safety Ambulance Division to the Emergency Medical Services Division. The change in designation acknowledged the multiple levels of service provided by the agency. In 1990 the Delaware legislature enacted the Delaware Paramedic Services Act with the purpose of establishing a statewide paramedic program under the direction of the state Office of Emergency Medical Services. Under the provisions of the act, the New Castle County Emergency Medical Services Division was authorized two additional paramedic units, which were deployed in the Glasgow and Prices Corner areas. Presently, the EMS Section operates seven (7) paramedic units on a twenty-four hour basis. The section also offers free Citizen CPR courses, and provides speakers for civic meetings, church groups, etc. Citizens interested in obtaining CPR training or scheduling a speaker for their group may contact the EMS Section by calling (302) 571-7948 for further information. Department Type: All Paid/Career Services Provided: ALS Emergency Medical Service Number of Stations: 7

If you would like to be the manager for this department profile, or were the manager of the Fire-EMS.net page for this department, Click Here Now for instructions.