The Ripon Consolidated Fire District recently announced the discontinuation of its mobile application.

According to Fire Chief Eric DeHart, this is effective Jan. 1, 2025 and is due to budgetary constraints.

RCFD, instead, will be implementing several alternative communication strategies to maintain strong community engagement, including social media platforms, and “The Torch” newsletter – a print distribution that goes to some 1,400-plus Ripon addresses – and digital access at www.riponfire.com.

The RCFD mobile application was launched in 2022 through a strategic partnership with OCV LLC, which is a specialized developer of mobile applications for first responder apps. This collaboration under the leadership of former Fire Chief Dennis Bitters allowed the district to participate in feature development and testing while serving as a regional model for first responder mobile apps along with the technology, according to RCFD letter posted last week.

This successful partnership did help with the Ripon Police Department’s adoption of a mobile app in 2024.

As for the financial considerations, RCFD noted that while the initial partnership with OCV LLC provided development, hosting and maintenance services, the recent cost increases necessitated the implementation of annual service fees.

“To date, the district’s only expenditure has been minimal marketing efforts to promote the application’s adoption,” RCFD said.

The district extended its appreciation to the folks of OCV LLC for “their exceptional service and support throughout this partnership,” along with their expertise in mobile apps as setting the industry standard. 

RCFD is also inviting the community to offer up any suggestion for improving communication channels by logging on to info@riponfire.com or call 209.599.4209.