Salisbury Fire Department

(April 3, 2024 Salisbury, Maryland) The Wicomico County Health Department recognized David Phippin from the Salisbury Fire Department as the 2023 Outstanding Public Health Leader for Wicomico County during the award ceremony held on April 2 nd at the Wicomico Youth and Civic Center. The 27th annual award ceremony was held in recognition of National Public Health Week (April 1-7, 2024). David Phippin began his career with the Salisbury Fire Department in March of 2005 as a Paramedic/Firefighter assigned to “C” Shift. Over the course of the following twelve years, David saw a growing need to bridge the gap between 9-1-1 calls for service and the actual needs of the patient. While still working twenty-four hour shifts, David began to research how to better serve those individuals who needed more attention than a simple ambulance response and transport to the emergency room. David knew this endeavor was more than just the fire department could handle and he began working with Peninsula Regional Medical Center (PRMC) and Wicomico County Health Department (WiCHD) to find funding and to create a team to approach the targeted population. Through David and his team’s hard work and diligence, the Salisbury Wicomico Integrated Firstcare Team (SWIFT) obtained grant funding and began seeing patients in October of 2017. David’s compassion for his patients is obvious to anyone and it is thanks in no part to his true dedication that the program continues to succeed in decreasing calls for 9-1-1 service and emergency room treatment for enrolled patients. The Salisbury Fire Department knows how key David is to the SWIFT program and are proud of the positive impact he makes on our community with his compassion and care.