Aviation Service Saved From Cuts

Aviation Service Saved From Cuts
File photo by Chris Parypa

OCEAN CITY — State officials this week announced a reversal of a plan this summer to eliminate one of the Maryland State Police (MSP) Aviation medevac units on the Eastern Shore, including possibly Trooper 4, which serves the Ocean City and Worcester County area.

During its July meeting, the state’s Board of Public Works considered several significant budget cuts in the wake of anticipated revenue shortfalls due to COVID-19. Among the budget cuts on the table was the elimination of one of the MSP Aviation Command’s medevac units on the Eastern Shore, including Trooper 4, which provided critical emergency service to the lower shore, or the Trooper 6 unit in Easton.

Under a backlash of pressure from Eastern Shore representatives in Annapolis, the various fire departments and emergency first-responders and citizens on the shore, Governor Larry Hogan last month said the cuts should not go forward and instead directed the MSP to work with state budget officials to ensure the funding is available to keep all bases fully operational. On Wednesday, Hogan and MSP Superintendent Colonel Woodrow Jones III announced all MSP Aviation Command bases will remain open.

“For more than half a century, the Maryland State Police Aviation Command has been conducting lifesaving medevac flights,” he said. “Our administration is committed to making sure Maryland’s finest have all the resources they need to continue their excellent service to the state and the region.”

According to an independent study of the MSP Aviation Command’s basing structure, the strategic locations of the seven bases and the integrated emergency medical system within which the helicopters operate result in an outstanding response rate of at least 95% and an ability to be on-scene within 25 minutes. The elimination of one helicopter base would significantly and negatively affect both the response rate and the response time. Analysts estimated that closing one base would decrease the response rate to less than 83% and increase response time by eight minutes.

State Senator Mary Beth Carozza (R-38), who fired off a letter to Jones urging him to fight to keep the critical medevac services open on the Eastern Shore, on Wednesday said she was pleased with the announcement of Hogan and the MSP superintendent.

“I am grateful for the decision made by Governor Larry Hogan and Maryland State Police Superintendent Woodrow Jones to keep all MSP Aviation Command bases open,” she said. “I would also like to thank all those emergency responders on the front lines and all my constituents, many whose lives have been saved by MSP Aviation, for their strong advocacy for keeping Trooper 4 in Salisbury and Trooper 6 in Easton.”

Carozza said many of her constituents, along with first-responders and other officials had contacted her and shared stories about the significance of MSP emergency rescues where the Trooper 4 and Trooper 6 airborne transportation literally saved the lives of countless victims. On a personal note, Carozza’s aunt and uncle were involved in a serious automobile accident on Route 50 in Dorchester County in 1998 where they both were individually transported by medevac to Shock Trauma in Baltimore. They both survived the horrific crash and fortunately are still alive today.

“The possible budget cuts to the Eastern Shore’s MSP Medevac services truly would have a life-threatening negative impact on my constituents and other Shore residents and visitors, especially in the remote rural areas on the Shore like Smith Island and in Ocean City which swells to the second-largest city in Maryland during the season,” Carozza wrote in

About The Author: Shawn Soper

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Shawn Soper has been with The Dispatch since 2000. He began as a staff writer covering various local government beats and general stories. His current positions include managing editor and sports editor. Growing up in Baltimore before moving to Ocean City full time three decades ago, Soper graduated from Loch Raven High School in 1981 and from Towson University in 1985 with degrees in mass communications with a journalism concentration and history.