Ripon Consolidated Fire Department’s funding misfortune has turned into a plus for Manteca residents.

The Manteca department was able to acquire a large rescue truck that Ripon Fire semi-mothballed a number of years ago due to the perennial lack of manpower being corrected to a large degree by the passage of a new parcel tax in August.

The 2007 rescue truck has only 13,000 miles on it.

That truck — which cost $200,000 — is enabling Manteca Fire to replace a much smaller Ford-450 rescue truck. The former Ripon truck is now being prepped to go into service.

It will be housed at the Powers Avenue fire station.

The rescue truck allows the department to take various specialized rescue equipment spread out across engine companies stationed across the city as well as on various trailers, and place on one truck.

Manteca in mid-2025 placed an order for a heavy duty rescue truck that has a price tag of $1.6 million. Due to a prolonged production schedule, the truck has a targeted delivery of July 2029.

The city also has a new fire engine on order costing $1.3 million with a September 2029 delivery date that will be placed at the sixth fire station being built in southwest Manteca.

Operationally, the rescue truck would not function as a front-line engine that rolls to every call.

Instead, it rolls if an initial assessment is made as to whether it is needed.

The on duty three-person engine company crew would split their response with one driving the rescue and the other firefighters on the truck.

It is important to note that specialized equipment for a specific technical rescue in southeast Manteca may be on an engine stationed at Lathrop Road near Del Webb.

Instead of that fire engine and crew responding to a call for the equipment, it would keep it in place to handle other emergency responses.

It was noted when the new heavy rescue truck was ordered in August of 2025 it would provide the equipment and storage capacity for: vehicle extrication, technical rescue, hazardous materials mitigation, and disaster response.

At the time, Fire Captain Keith Scott in a memo to the council noted:

“With expanded infrastructure comes larger and more diverse structures that create new challenges for the fire department. The increase in housing developments, road expansions, and utility installations heightens the risk of trench-related incidents. Heavy Rescue teams provide essential shoring systems, air monitoring devices, and rescue tools for safe extrications”

“New multi-story buildings, bridges, and parking structures raise the risk of falls, requiring rope rescue capabilities. Additionally, large-scale developments increase the chance of building collapses, making it crucial for Heavy Rescue teams to carry equipment for stabilization and victim access.

The expansion of stormwater systems and development near waterways also elevates the risk of swift-water and flood-related incidents, stressing the need for effective water rescue preparedness.”

“Having specialized equipment immediately available enhances firefighter safety during complex rescues”

Ripon Fire District

will benefit as well

Ripon Fire, which is gearing up to man a second engine company 24/7 thanks to the parcel tax passage, now has $200,000 to go toward the purchase of a new ambulance — the next critical need for the district.

A new ambulance is expected to cost $369,000

The rescue truck sale is one example of his communities served by separate fire departments or agencies can benefit by an ongoing working relationship.

Another benefit is automatic aid which means the closest engine in specific situations — wherever it is located at the time of a call regardless of the name on the side of the cab door — responds to a 9-1-1 call in either jurisdiction.

Once Ripon has its second engine company up and running in the next four to five months, the automatic aid becomes less lopsided to the point where the benefits for both Manteca and Ripon are closer to being evener keel.

The existing automatic aid, which lapses this year, is up for renegotiation.

To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com.