The News Journal (Delaware)
When New Castle County created an additional paramedic unit in May to address a scary and unexplained spike in heroin overdoses, it was a prudent thing to do. It was paid for in overtime costs but gave the county an extra edge in medic coverage when other units were occupied with overdose cases.
When the overdose cases subsided, county Public Safety Director Guy Sapp pulled the plug on the Medic 9 overtime subsidy. Some County Council members and officials in Newark, where Medic 9 was based, pleaded to continue the unbudgeted service.
The administration of County Executive Chris Coons has promised to monitor the paramedic calls and heroin overdoses and to re-activate Medic 9 if and when it’s necessary. Statistics thus far have indicated that the existing eight paramedic units have been able to handle the incoming calls. In addition, the University of Delaware has been commissioned to study the current distribution of paramedic services to help improve response time and efficiency.
Full story: http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060718/OPINION11/607180324/-1/NEWS01