HARBESON, Del. - As rapid development continues in eastern Sussex County, some residents in the Harbeson area are calling for fire companies to work together or build a new station to improve emergency response times.
Mary Mohlmann, who lives in the Lewes Fire District portion of Harbeson, said delays from surrounding departments can be critical.
“It will take away from the response time from Milton to here, Lewes to here or Indian River,” she said. “So 15 minutes can make the difference between life and death.”
Harbeson sits at the intersection of multiple fire districts, meaning response depends on which side of roads like Cool Spring and Hollyville a call originates. Four departments Milton, Lewes, Indian River and Millsboro can all be dispatched to the broader area.
According to estimated response times to the center of that overlap zone, Lewes crews arrive in about nine minutes, Indian River in eight minutes, Millsboro in 12 minutes and Milton in roughly 13 minutes.
According to estimated response times to the center of that overlap zone, Lewes crews arrive in about nine minutes, Indian River in eight minutes, Millsboro in 12 minutes and Milton in roughly 13 minutes.
Residents say that patchwork coverage can create confusion and delays, especially as the population grows. U.S. Census data shows Harbeson’s population within a ZIP code spanning roughly 9 square miles has doubled since 2000.
Vicki Pry, who lives in the Indian River district, said more coordination between companies would benefit the community. “I’m not sure people really think too much about that until the need is there,” she said. “It does make sense to me that there would be a collective approach to this so that response times would be shorter.”
Residents say that patchwork coverage can create confusion and delays, especially as the population grows. U.S. Census data shows Harbeson’s population within a ZIP code spanning roughly 9 square miles has doubled since 2000.
Joe Biondi, who lives near the Millsboro side of the area, pointed to the region’s growing senior population as another reason to expand fire and EMS access. “Especially with a 55-plus community that we have here, we have EMS coming in every day, every night,” he said. “They’re doing a good job, but I think it would be helpful to have some closer.”
Others say the solution may be building a new station altogether. Robert Termine, of Milton, said continued development in Sussex County makes that option increasingly necessary. “I definitely think it would be an asset to have another fire station much closer,” he said.
Not all departments weighed in on whether discussions are underway. The only response came from the Indian River Volunteer Fire Company. Public information officer Patrick Miller said disputes over fire company boundaries can complicate cooperation efforts, particularly because territory is tied to funding.
Miller added that the Delaware State Fire Prevention Commission is ultimately responsible for any changes to fire district boundaries.
There is, however, precedent for departments sharing resources. The Lewes and Rehoboth Beach fire departments jointly operate Station 3, which opened in 2003 to serve the growing Angola area a model some residents say could work in Harbeson as well.