RIPON: Emergency call response times can mean the difference between life and death.
For three days, the fire department in the city of Ripon, in San Joaquin County, was without an ambulance for emergency calls. According to Ripon Fire Chief Eric DeHart, the issue was merely a lack of personnel.
There are only three paramedics in Ripon who work full-time, and none of them could staff the department’s one ambulance.
DeHart stated, “The district only employs three paramedics, two of whom were out of town.”
The department was forced to rely on outside agencies because the third paramedic was scheduled to respond but had a family emergency.
“We only have one ambulance, so we have to rely on our neighbors when we have an issue and our ambulance isn’t staffed,” DeHart stated. “Many ambulances are in the system of our neighboring agencies.”
Eight times in those three days was an ambulance called for. In fifty percent of those cases, a patient required hospital transport to a nearby facility.
According to Chief DeHart, there have been other instances when staff callouts or emergencies have forced the department to depend on outside agencies.
In January and February, it happened a few times. I know that it was about six times a month going into April and May,” he remarked.
A parcel tax that would cost homeowners $21 per month or apartment buildings up to $16,000 annually is up for vote among homeowners. The purpose of the tax is to allow the fire district to staff a second fire station that has been vacant since 2018.
According to DeHart, the money will change everything by enabling emergency personnel to respond to calls more quickly and stabilize patients until an ambulance can arrive.
“More patients require more hands. We won’t have to wait for more assistance from distant organizations. It enables us to respond a little quicker,” he remarked.
Duel to this a child died
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Emmanulla Jacob