Ripon Consolidated Fire Welcomes Two New Paramedics

Photo courtesy of Ripon Consolidated Fire District.

The Ripon Consolidated Fire District has bolstered its ranks with the hiring of two new firefighter/paramedics, Jason Hill and Andrew McDonald. The district took to social media to make the announcement, revealing that both men are currently immersed in a comprehensive orientation program to familiarize themselves with San Joaquin County and Fire District policies, procedures, equipment, and performance standards.

Andrew McDonald makes the move to the Ripon Consolidated Fire District from Stanislaus County AMR, where he honed his skills as a paramedic. But McDonald's experience in emergency services extends beyond his time at AMR. He previously served as a Volunteer Captain at the Burbank Paradise Fire Protection District, and completed his fire academy training at Modesto Junior College (MJC). When he's not on duty, McDonald can be found on the golf course, and he's eager to successfully complete his probationary period with the district.

Jason Hill joins the team from San Joaquin County American Medical Response (AMR), where he spent the past year working as a paramedic. Hill's background in fire service also includes a stint with the Wilton Fire Protection District, which followed his completion of the Firefighter 1 Academy Intern Program. In his downtime, Hill expresses his creativity through leatherworking and other projects in his home workshop.

The addition of Hill and McDonald to the roster brings Station 1, located at 142 S. Stockton Ave, to full staffing, filling two vacant positions. The hiring also ensures that the ambulance will remain staffed and ready to respond at all times.

The new hires come on the heels of a failed attempt by the Ripon Consolidated Fire District's Board of Directors to pass a 218 measure earlier this month. The measure would have provided the district with an additional $1.8 million in funding from property taxes, enabling it to offer pay increases to current firefighters and paramedics and to staff Fire Station 3, located at 1705 N Ripon Rd, full-time with one engine and two personnel. However, the measure was defeated, with 54.9% of ballots opposed and 45.1% in favor. A total of 2017 ballots were cast out of over 7000 distributed to eligible voters who are parcel owners.