SUSSEX COUNTY, Del.- As emergency calls rise and costs climb, Sussex County leaders are looking for new ways to keep ambulance services afloat.
County officials say the current system is becoming harder for some fire companies to sustain, especially those with fewer calls and less revenue. Now, leaders are proposing changes they believe could ease that pressure and make the system more consistent across the county.
One major idea is to take over ambulance billing.
Right now, individual fire companies handle billing on their own, often using different vendors. That can mean inconsistent fees and missed revenue. Under the proposal, the county would create a centralized billing system, aiming to improve collections and cut down on administrative costs.
The county would pay for the service, but the money collected would still go back to the fire companies.
A second proposal focuses on the high cost of replacing ambulances.
Instead of each company buying its own, the county is considering purchasing ambulances in bulk — about $400,000 each — and distributing them on a rotating schedule.
The plan would fund three new ambulances per year, meaning each company would get a replacement roughly every seven years.
Officials say buying in bulk could lower costs and ensure more consistency in equipment, while still allowing companies to pay for any custom upgrades they want.
The discussion comes after a 2025 statewide study found gaps and inefficiencies in fire and EMS services across Delaware.
Michael Suit, with the Sussex County Volunteer Firefighters Association, said the changes could provide real relief for departments that are struggling to keep up.
“That’s really going to assist our fire companies that don’t have the higher volume of calls,” Suit said. “Those companies don’t get the revenue like the other companies do. So with this type of program, it will help them move money away from what they would spend on an ambulance and put it toward other projects they need for EMS services.”
The proposals are still under review and would need approval from Sussex County Council as part of the fiscal year 2027 budget.