By CARL DAMERON
For The Bulletin
Manteca Fire Department saw a 43% rise in call volume from 2017 to 2022.
In 2022, Manteca firefighters responded to 10,852 calls for service.
That made it the second busiest fire department in San Joaquin County.
City leaders indicate with the increase in calls for service, Manteca needs more fire personnel, facilities, and equipment to ensure the safety of its residents.
“Fire Station 1 (Powers Avenue), built in 1965, and Station 3 (Louise Avenue), built in 1985, are in dire need of replacement,” Fire Chief Dave Marques said.
“These stations have issues such as leaky roofs, faulty fire doors that fall on fire trucks, and insufficient living quarters for firefighters.” Marques added. “The stations were designed for two people but now accommodate three, with no eating area, gym, nor individual sleeping quarters.”
In addition, a new fire station is needed in the southwest of town to provide adequate fire protection for several thousand homes and ensure response times of five minutes or less.
The cost of building a new station ranges from $7 million to $15 million, The city’s current budget cannot accommodate these expenses.
In the meantime, the Fire Department is addressing the issues with temporary solutions, patching up broken infrastructure, and using the current facilities until a long-term solution can be implemented.
Marques has proposed adding nine new fire personnel to staff Fire Station 2 on Union Avenue to improve emergency response capabilities. However, funding for this request is unavailable in the current fiscal year.
The city’s aging fire engines frequently require costly repairs, with some in service well beyond their recommended lifespan.
Funding is needed for four new engines over the next four years to ensure reliable service.
The recent acquisition of an $1.8 million aerial tiller truck featuring a 110-foot ladder underscores efforts to enhance firefighting capabilities for taller structures in Manteca.
“Each custom-made engine takes about four years to complete,” Marques said. “Two engines have already been ordered but not yet paid for, and two more still need to be ordered. However, funding will be required to do so.”
The annual repair budget for the fire engines is $150,000.
For instance, a fire engine purchased new in 2015 recently experienced a blown engine, resulting in a $50,000 repair bill. This fire engine will be out of service for several months.
Chief Marques said that it is not uncommon for the engines to be in the repair shop for an extended period, causing delays in reaching fires and people needing medical attention.
There have been occasions where the Manteca Fire Department had no backup engines available, necessitating aid from a neighboring fire department, which could take 15 minutes or more to arrive on site.
Manteca lacks dedicated training facilities, relying on makeshift sites and neighboring cities for training opportunities. The need for a local training facility to minimize response disruptions during training sessions is paramount.
“Additional funding is needed to bring the Manteca Fire Department up to industry standards,” the fire chief said. “The department is doing everything in its power to keep the residents in the city of Manteca safe, but this is not sustainable.”
