Act To Amend Title 18 Of The Delaware Code Relating To The State Fire Prevention Commission, Fire Companies Or Departments, And The State Insurance Coverage Office.

On Tuesday October 29, 2024, Mill Creek Fire Company was selected to host the signing of State of Delaware House Bill 371.  The Honorable Governor John Carney signed the bill in front of legislators and representatives of the State of Delaware fire service. This will be the last bill he will sign as the Governor for the State of Delaware.
 

The legislation that was passed overwhelming by both the House and Senate and signed by the Governor “…changes how the Insurance Commissioner and the State Treasurer provide for distributions from taxes collected by the Insurance Commissioner to be made to fire companies or departments in Delaware. The current method for reporting, calculating, and making distributions to fire companies or departments is complex to administer and can lead to incorrect payments. This Act simplifies the reporting process and provides a new method for calculating the funds distributed to fire departments and companies in the City of Wilmington, New Castle County outside of Wilmington, Kent County, and Sussex County. Specifically, it reduces the number of payments per year from two to one, gives the Insurance Commissioner more time to ensure the accuracy of insurer-reported financial data, and establishes detailed guidelines for how the funds should be distributed to the various fire companies or departments. This Act also makes changes to the reporting requirements related to payments made by the State Treasurer to the State Insurance Coverage Office.” (excerpt from the actual bill language).
 

The bill was a bi-partisan effort sponsored by the following legislators:
 

Rep. Kimberly Williams – Prime Sponsor – House of Representatives
Sen. Jack Walsh – Prime Sponsor - Senate
Rep. Edward Osienski
Rep. Nnamdi Chukwuocha
Rep. Ronald Gray
Rep. Kerri Harris
Rep. Jeff Hilovsky
Rep. Eric Morrison
Sen. Kyle Gay
Sen. David Sokola
Sen. Nicole Poore
Sen. Stephanie Hansen
Rep. Daniel Short
Rep. Debra Heffernan 
Sen. Spiros Mantzavinos

Mill Creek Fire Company President Doug Manley and Fire Chief Nick Baronie played a pivotal role in assisting with this legislation by working closely with Representative Kim Williams. Representative Williams united all parties from the State Treasurer, Insurance Commissioner, Office of Management and Budget, the Controller’s Office, and the Delaware Volunteer Firefighters Association (DVFA).

DVFA President Ken Ryder and Tom DiCristofaro has praised the challenging work the DVFA Committee tasked to bring a solution to this issue that has been plaguing the Delaware fire service for decades.   Thanks to Danny Burris, Ray Stevens, Dave Roberts, and Jay Jones for all their hard work on this committee.

And a special “Thank You” from the members and officers of the Mill Creek Fire Company to everyone making this legislation a reality.

JS