Photo Release: McBride Meets with First Responders Across Sussex and Kent Counties to Press for Stronger Support and Resources

Sussex & Kent County, DE -Congresswoman Sarah McBride spent Wednesday visiting emergency medical, fire, and law enforcement agencies across Sussex and Kent Counties, underscoring her priority to support local first responders, address workforce shortages, and hear directly about growing demands facing public safety agencies and strengthen the resources they rely on to keep Delaware communities safe.

"Our first responders show up for Delawareans on their hardest days," McBride said."These visits were about listening, understanding the challenges on the ground, and making sure federal investments are actually helping local departments respond faster, operate more safely, and support the people who do this work every day."

Starting in Sussex County, McBride visited Lewes Fire Department's Station 2, where fire and EMS leaders described record-high call volumes and the pressures of recruiting and retaining both career and volunteer staff, the need for sustained federal support for equipment, facilities, and responder wellness.

Following, McBride met with police leaders from Eastern and central Sussex County to discuss priorities for the rapidly growing community, including recruitment and retention, officer wellness, and maintaining strong community trust.

Finally, McBride toured the new Frederica Paramedic Station, a $5 million investment funded through the American Rescue Plan Act. That federal investment expands EMS capacity in southern Kent County and the new paramedic facility will improve response times and strengthen resilience as regional development drives population increase.

Across each stop, McBride emphasized the importance of federal-state-local partnerships that give communities flexibility to meet their specific needs-including new facilities, modernized training, workforce development, or mental health support for first responders.

In Congress, McBride has worked to back these priorities by securing federal investments, including $450,000 for Delaware's Criminal Justice Council to implement a new statewide police training system that will modernize law enforcement training, improve operational effectiveness, and enhance officer safety across the state's 50 police agencies. McBride has also supported sustained federal funding for critical public safety programs, including the COPS Hiring Program and the Byrne Justice Assistance Grant program, which help local departments hire officers, strengthen community policing, and support initiatives toward rehabilitation. She has supported funding for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to continue firearms tracing, ballistics analysis and efforts to combat gun trafficking.

"Supporting first responders requires more than one visit or conversation," McBride said."It requires sustained follow-through-making sure our policies, funding decisions, and oversight reflect the real needs of our communities and local heroes that are committed to protecting them."

McBride said she will continue working with local leaders and colleagues in Congress to advance funding and policies that strengthen emergency response systems and support the first responders Delaware depends on every day.

Photos from her visits are available here.

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