Sussex council approves new paramedic station
Sussex County’s newest paramedic station will be built along Plantation Road between Lewes and Rehoboth. At its Aug. 23 meeting, Sussex County Council approved a $1.25 million construction bid from Delmarva Veterans Builders in Salisbury, Md. Total cost of the project including land and engineering is $1.6 million.
The county’s final cost for the building contract will be $878,000 with a 30 percent grant of $217,000 from the state, said County Finance Director Gina Jennings.
In order to receive the state grant, she said, the county must pay state prevailing wages. Without state wages and the 30 percent reimbursement, the county’s cost would have been $1 million.
With 4,000 calls last year, the Rehoboth-area station is the busiest in the county, said Bobby Schoonover, EMS technical services division manager.
The new 5,220-square-foot facility will house Medic Station 104 as well as district supervisors, and it will become the main training station.
The county purchased the 3-acre parcel for $250,000 along Plantation Road near the Route 24 intersection.
In addition, council approved a $14,000 contract with Pennoni Associates in Milton for engineering costs to connect to the county’s sewer system. Pennoni’s original engineering contract for $99,900 was approved by council last September.
The project is expected to be completed in March or April 2017.
The station will relocate from leased space – at $38,000 a year – along Route 1 near Midway, Schoonover said.
The new station will be the fourth built and owned by the county, including Medic 105, near Ocean View, opened last July; Medic 102 near Laurel built in 2009; and Medic 106 near Long Neck opened in 2013.
Sussex EMS operates the following stations: 101, Lincoln; 102, Laurel; 103, Dagsboro; 104/Supervisor 100, Rehoboth Beach; 105, Ocean View; 106, Long Neck; 107, Bridgeville; 108, Georgetown/Headquarters; 110/Supervisor 200, Seaford.
