Manteca’s demand for fire service in 2020 continued to grow faster than the city’s population.

The city’s five fire stations handled a record 9,059 calls for service in 2020 compared to 8,624 in 2019. The 5 percent increase was greater than Manteca’s population gain that went from 83,781 to 86,064 for a 2.7 percent increase.

In the past seven years fire department calls have soared 51.1 percent going from 5,993 in 2014 to 9,059 in 2020. The city’s population increased 17.7 percent rising from 73,121 in 2014 to 86,064 in 2020.

The biggest change for the department in 2020 was the opening of the fifth fire station at Atherton Drive and Woodward Avenue.

Fire Chief Kyle Shipherd noted that has allowed response time to close to 2,000 homes in southwest Manteca to drop significantly. In doing so it has improved the prospect for better outcomes for everything from those suffering a serious medical episode such as a heart attack to structure fires.

The opening of the new station means when construction starts mid-year on the 1,301-homes in the Griffin Park along South Main Street south of Woodward Avenue that future residents will fall within the city’s targeted five-minute fire/medical emergency response time. That will be the first time in decades that a major new development on the scale of Griffin Park will fall within a five-minute response time from a station.

Griffin Park, given it will eventually stretch in points to Tinnin Road and beyond, could also have portions fall within a five-minute response time from the Union Road station.

Shipherd advocated for a study of development patterns and needs prior to committing growth fees for the next station. The study will focus on the likely areas a sixth and seventh station would be needed. The city during approval of various subdivision maps had indicated a need at some point for another fire station in the vicinity of McKinley Avenue and Woodward Avenue given projects that would add more than 3,000 homes have been approved within a mile of where those two streets intersect.

The fire chief said that study — expected to be completed by spring — will also consider another option which is adding one of the next two fire stations by simply housing a second engine at the Union Road station and manning it 24/7.

The Union Road station was built with the intent of housing two engine companies at one time.

It was originally envisioned for the 100-foot aerial engine company and a standard engine company to be housed there. That was the case for a number of years before the aerial truck was moved to the Powers Avenue station.

That move was made at the time given the bulk of the large distribution style structures in Manteca were close to the Powers Avenue station.

Now that the 500-room Great Wolf hotel and indoor waterpark resort has been built along with five large distribution centers that are expected to possible triple in number in the coming years along the Airport Way corridor, the chief said at some point it could make sense to relocate the aerial ladder to the Union Road station. That is because Union Road would be somewhat in the middle of the Airport Way corridor and Spreckels Park.

To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com