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Ripon Consolidated Fire Chief details staffing, response needs and water-system scenarios for large incidents
Summary
Fire Chief Eric DeHart briefed the council on Ripon Consolidated Fire operational capacity, concurrent-call rates, required staffing for structure fires and modeled water-system endurance under multiple hydrant draws; prevention and early detection were emphasized.
Eric DeHart, fire chief of Ripon Consolidated Fire, presented to the City Council on Feb. 11 on department capabilities for large-scale emergencies, staffing, and water-system limitations.
DeHart said the district covers about 56 square miles with three stations but only one staffed full time, typically providing a maximum of five personnel on duty: a two-person engine crew (captain and engineer), a two-person advanced life-support ambulance crew (paramedic and EMT), and an on-duty battalion chief. He said the department ran 2,383 calls in 2024 and recorded about 520 concurrent calls—roughly 22% of calls—when an initial unit was already committed.
DeHart described the staffing and equipment needed for a typical structure (house) fire: an incident commander, multiple attack crews, search teams, a rapid intervention crew (two-out rule), water-supply apparatus, ventilation and salvage/overhaul teams, and a safety officer. He said a minimum of about 15 personnel would be desirable for a house fire and that Ripon relies on automatic and mutual aid from neighboring districts (Manteca, Escalon) to meet those needs.
Water-system modeling: engineering and water staff presented modeled scenarios showing how long the city’s potable mains and storage could sustain continuous flows if multiple hydrants were operating at once. Under a worst-case “max day” demand on a single 12-inch main, running three hydrants wide open could potentially provide 16–17 hours before serious pressure loss; six hydrants reduced that endurance to about 4–4.5 hours and nine hydrants to about three hours. Staff also noted a nonpotable system that could provide roughly 3,000 gallons per minute and about 500,000 gallons of storage as an additional resource.
Prevention and preparedness: DeHart emphasized prevention measures—smoke alarms and residential sprinklers, weed abatement, improved landscaping practices, clearing gutters and debris, and moving combustible waste and garbage cans away from structures—to reduce the likelihood that small incidents escalate while the department is committed elsewhere.
Council response: council members and staff described the fire-department presentation and modeling as a useful exercise; staff said the city will continue coordination between the fire and water departments and encouraged continued community preparedness and clearance efforts.
