A recent incident in Ripon is shedding light on the growing strain on the city's fire department.

In late July, the city's only fire engine was responding to a call about a child locked in a car when a vegetation fire broke out. With the engine unavailable, paramedics, who are also trained firefighters, were forced to monitor the flames until the fire engine could arrive and extinguish the blaze.

The Ripon Consolidated Fire District says situations like this are becoming more common due to chronic understaffing and a lack of resources.

Ripon, a city of nearly 20,000 people, is served by just one fire engine and one ambulance. The city's second fire station, built in 2018 on North Ripon Road, remains unstaffed.

"The infrastructure is here, we have an engine inside ready to go, we're just lacking six individuals to hire," said Chief Eric DeHart, Ripon Fire District

Chief DeHart said only four personnel are available per day to respond to emergencies, making it difficult to keep up with multiple 911 calls. When multiple emergencies happen at once, the team has to prioritize based on severity, sometimes delaying response to other calls.

In 2024, the district introduced a parcel tax of roughly $250 per household to fund staffing at the new fire station. However, the measure failed to pass.

Local resident Kevin Terry supports the idea, saying, "I'm all for it, because Ripon is growing, and at some point, we're going to need two firehouses."

Chief DeHart agreed, noting that better funding is essential to meet the city's growing needs.

"Better to have it and not need it, than to need it and not have it," DeHart said.

The fire district hopes to put a revised parcel tax measure on the ballot in June, as it remains the only viable option to secure funding for more staff and better emergency response coverage.

A community meeting will be held at the Ripon Senior Center on September 9th at 6 p.m., where residents can learn more and voice their concerns.