Charles emergency services could get nearly $4 million in new funding

County administered departments are all seeing funding increases in the proposed $559.7 million fiscal year 2025 budget.

At the April 23 Charles County commissioners meeting, Acting Director of Fiscal and Administrative Services Jacob Dyer detailed the changes in funding.

Funding increases for agencies are anywhere from 0.8% to 15.7% in the fiscal 2025 budget, with the Department of Planning and Growth Management having the highest percentage increase.

The highest dollar amount increase is the Department of Emergency Services, with a 15% increase in funding, translating to an additional $3,943,600.

In fiscal 2024, the Department of Emergency Services received $26.2 million from the county, and the fiscal year 2025 proposal has the department receiving $30.2 million.

“In this budget, we are providing the funding to support 20 additional positions,” Dyer said.

The 20 positions include 10 new EMTs in the Bel Alton area with an August hire date, four animal control officers, two hazmat technicians, one hazmat captain, a data analyst, an assistant chief of 911 and a Next Generation 911 telephone systems administrator.

Dyer shared that creating EMTs “in-house” may now be easier, as a reorganization done this fiscal year is now taking effect.

The reorganization created a paid paramedic program to give opportunities for EMTs to be promoted to a paramedic and a Cadet Academy to allow for applicants without an EMT certification to be recruited and participate in an EMT Academy to earn their certifications, the budget overview says.

Acting County Administrator Deborah Hall said that the first class is slated for this fall.

The budget also continues funding for video event data recorders to retrofit Department of Emergency Services vehicles, which may help protect the county from liability and be used to better train new EMTs.

Two new ambulances are also slated to be purchased that will be bank-financed and included in the debt service budget.

Planning and Growth Management’s $1.55 million budget increase from $9,906,000 to $11,458,800 continues to support the no-fare VanGO program in fiscal year 2025.

According to the budget overview, the county’s local support of its transit program is outpacing support from federal and state agencies.