KENT CO., DE- Six new paramedic positions have opened up in Kent County as officials work to address a staffing shortage that raised alarms just months ago.
On January 27, Kent County Levy Court unanimously approved a fiscal year 2026 budget amendment that provides $400,000 to add six paramedic positions to the county's Emergency Medical Services Division.
Kent County Director of Public Safety John Tinger said that just a few months ago, the department struggled to keep up with demand as staffing levels were stretched thin.
"We were in a staffing crisis for a while, where the paramedics were working double shifts. They were being mandatorily held. They couldn't even go home because of open shifts."
American Rescue Plan Act money that previously supported paramedic trainee salaries in fiscal year 2024 has been exhausted, forcing the division to rely on full-time equivalent funding and limiting its ability to hire certified paramedics.
In response to staffing shortages, the county began sponsoring students through paramedic school as a long-term strategy to strengthen the workforce.
Kent County Assistant Director of Public Safety Justin Conrad said the approach was intended to build and invest in the workforce.
"One of the things that Levy Court allowed us to do was to send students to school. That's one of the ways that we're able to recruit paramedics and increase our staffing and things like that."
However, Conrad said sending trainees to school also reduced short-term staffing flexibility, as more time in the classroom meant fewer certified paramedics on the road.
"Because we've had that problem—well, not a problem—but we're able to send them back to school. That's taking a full-time equivalent position, which is a certified paramedic position."
With the additional funding now approved, Conrad said EMS will be able to hire certified paramedics and recent graduates while still supporting trainees who are already moving through the pipeline.
"It's allowing us to send those students to school and fill those spots that are now open and hopefully expand the department."
Conrad said the funding comes at a crucial time, as demand for emergency medical services continues to rise due to rapid population growth across the county.
"Populations are increasing. The population is also getting older. So that's going to help increase our call volume. So we want to make sure that we have the staffing for those calls when the calls come in."
The funding also comes on the heels of recent investments in EMS infrastructure, including the opening of a new Frederica EMS station in December.
Tinger said the additional staffing will allow the department to expand coverage at that facility.
"We currently have one paramedic on staff. With this increase in staffing, we're going to be able to put two paramedics down at that station to serve the southeast area of Kent County better."
EMS leaders said that while the department is no longer in a staffing crisis, officials are actively recruiting to fill the six new paramedic positions.