The Ripon Consolidated Fire District announced Friday that ambulance services will be out of operation due to staffing shortage.

“While our fire engine will remain staffed and fully operational to respond to all 911 emergencies within our service area, any incidents necessitating ambulance transportation will unfortunately experience delays.

“Ambulance support will be dispatched from neighboring jurisdictions to assist with transportation needs,” said the local fire department via social media.

Residents are still asked to call 911 in the event of any emergency.

Property owners recently received their ballots for the Proposition 218 parcel tax. A ‘yes’ vote will help support staffing, including that of Station 3 on River Road. They’ll have until Aug. 8 to submit those ballots to the clerk of the RCFD board (Station 1, 142 S. Stockton Ave.).

RCFD responded, adding: “Even after the outcome of the 218 vote we remain dedicated to keeping our residents and businesses updated on any issues affecting our response capabilities. Your safety is our top priority, and we appreciate your understanding as we work through this challenge.”

Manteca, unlike Ripon, has a non-profit ambulance service that is not subsidized by tax dollars. It is funded by pavement for services.

Manteca District Ambulance was established in 1951 and serves Manteca and Lathrop.

The community-based ambulance service — one of only a few in California — also operates ambulance services in Tuolumne County.

Most ambulance service in the Northern San Joaquin Valley are provided by for-profit firms such as American Medical Response.