Ripon proper is now served by two fire stations.
A grand opening of the Ripon Consolidated Fire district’s third station designed with architecture to blend with nearby neighbors took place on Friday afternoon at North Ripon Road and East River Road.
The station is situated in north Ripon where much of the city’s growth is expected to take place in the coming years. It is being staffed with a two-man engine. Eventually Ripon Police plan on operating a community police office out of the location.
The district has its headquarters station inside the city limits on Stockton Avenue in downtown Ripon. The third station is in the 18800 block of South Murphy Road.
It is also the final major project in Ripon funded with redevelopment money. The California Legislature pulled the plug on redevelopment agencies in order to cover deficit state spending.
Fire Chief Dennis Bitters was enthusiastic about the new 6,500 square foot structure being completed on time and under the contractor’s bid price for its completion – something that rarely happens, he noted. Architect David Stark of SKW & Associates of Modesto was focused on creating a building that would blend with the nearby homes.
A large American Flag flew over the station from the department’s 100-foot ladder truck parked behind the structure as a small crowd worked their way into the building amid the onset of an incoming storm.
The station has four bedrooms for staff members and a kitchen adjacent to a dining area for firefighters staffing the facility serving the new housing developments of the northern and eastern part of the city.
Vice chairman of the fire board, Bryce Perkins, lauded Bitters for having been passionate about the new station saying he was always the first to show up and the last to leave when he had called his volunteers to help with some facet of the building program.
“I can’t say enough about him,” Perkins said.
Bitters responded saying no matter what he had asked his guys to do, including the pouring of concrete walkways – they made it happen.
“That’s why we were able to do this project,” he said.
Congressman Jeff Denham, in presenting an American Flag that had flown over the Pentagon, said it seemed like just yesterday when he was taking part in the ground breaking. Actually it has been a short nine months, he said.
Assemblywoman Kristin Olsen lauded the fire district to be the last in the county to make use of redevelopment funds to help build the new station. She said she has had a respect for Ripon since first visiting the community as a child and recognizing the high character of its people.
County Supervisor Ken Vogel also lauded Bitters saying he is “the glue that hold things together” noting that he heads up the county fire chiefs association in Stockton. The other two fire board members in attendance were Mike Restuccia and John Wever.
Chief Bitters recognized three individuals who were instrumental in the project and presented them with department long sleeve sweater coats. They were Bob Brayton, owner of C.T. Brayton & Son, Francois Ziesel, construction superintendent for C.T. Brayton & Son and architect David Stark.
