The Ripon Consolidated Fire District will pursue another Proposition 218 assessment in an effort to increase operating revenue.

Voters within the local fire district’s 56-square-mile service area narrowly turned down Prop. 218 in August 2024.

What RCFD heard, according to fire Chief Eric DeHart at the Dec. 9 Ripon City Council meeting, was that residents did not fully understand the fire district’s operations and challenges. More on that.

His goal this time around is to do just opposite – by the end of the process, DeHart’s hope is to make everyone fully informed.

“Over the past six months, the Fire District has worked to keep the community informed about why a benefit assessment is needed,” he said.

RCFD did so via outreach with four public Town Hall sessions coupled with meetings with the Chesapeake Landing HOA and several Ripon school parent-faculty clubs.

What’s more, a committee consisting of 20 to 25 residents called “Within Ripon Fire” was formed – the group has been working closely with the District to help guide the next steps.

As for the challenges, RCFD is operating with just one fire station.

Station 1 on Stockton Avenue has one engine staffed with two personnel, one ambulance (also staffed with two personnel), and a battalion chief to oversee the operations.

“The District is overwhelmed by concurrent calls,” DeHart said.

By that, he referred to the 528 instances from last year where new calls came in while personnel were already responding to another emergency.

DeHart noted that when RCFD, during these moments, must turn to surrounding agencies such as Manteca, Escalon, and Salida.

The results of that?

“The response times are as long as 14 to 16 minutes,” he said, calling such delays “unacceptable.”

The only true solution, DeHart noted, is to find funding to staff a second engine.

The Ripon Fire District voters approved a parcel tax in 1985. But the assessment was a rate that was fixed and not tied to inflation or the rising cost of living.

In going forward with the upcoming Prop. 218, RCFD and the City of Ripon entered into a Memorandum of Understanding that establishes each agency’s role in the local fire district’s pursuit of a fire suppression assessment.

Both agencies will share the cost on a 50/50 basis.

RCFD secured SCI Consulting Group to assist with the benefit assessment process.

“We are grateful to the City of Ripon for partnering with us and agreeing to share in the costs of this important effort,” said DeHart.

As the process continues, RCFD will continue to provide better and updated information on the estimated cost to each property owner.

DeHart said that the target timeline, if all goes accordingly, would be to mail out ballots in late May and collect them by Aug. 1 in order for the assessment to be included in the 2026-2027 tax roll.

For questions and concerns, contact Fire Chief Eric DeHart 209.599.4209, ext. 104.