Ross asks for delay in planned closure of Fire Station 18 as paramedic authority studies deployment

The Ross Town Council directed the town manager to send a letter asking the Ross Valley Fire Department board to delay the planned closure of Fire Station 18 by one year while the Ross Valley Paramedic Authority (RVPA) completes a deployment study.

Town Manager Krista Johnson reviewed the history: the town joined the Ross Valley Fire Department in 2012; structural deficiencies led the council in 2021 to plan redevelopment of civic facilities and the JPA was amended in 2022 with an expected Station 18 closure date of July 1, 2025. Johnson said the RVPA recently initiated a deployment study after member agencies questioned whether Ross remains the optimal location for a paramedic ambulance. She warned that, if the RVPA reduces coverage or dissolves, "No emergency response personnel will be based in Ross, which could result in a 2 minute increase in response time for medical emergencies," and described an estimated $2,000,000 cost to build a new paramedic facility.

Chief Dan Mahoney said operational and staffing decisions have been made in anticipation of the closure and that the RVPA study (with a scheduled presentation in early November) is necessary to resolve outstanding jurisdictional questions. Councilmembers across the chamber emphasized the town's need for first responders and supported using a one-year delay to allow the RVPA and Marin County local emergency medical services authority to determine long-term arrangements.

Rather than a formal roll-call vote, the council registered a unanimous consensus to send the letter to the RVFD board requesting a one-year postponement to ensure paramedic service continuity while the study is completed.

Speakers quoted in this report appear in the official meeting record.