https://mymotherlode.com/community/blogs/we-need-more-fire-protection-not-less
Category: Uncategorized
Barbara Harvey
I became acutely ill last Saturday. The fire truck came, an ambulance was called. I was able to come home late that night.
Several months ago, a person working in my yard had difficulty breathing with chest pain.
I called 911, it was a cardiac arrest, a fast response, patient survived. Few years ago, I called 911, fire truck came, resuscitation failed.
Insurance is less expensive with a station nearby. My neighbor a few years ago had company who set a bucket of hot coals on her wooden deck. This was early in the morning about 5: 30 a.m. I watched the firetruck pull up from my kitchen window. That wooden deck fire started so fast – had it been much longer. It probably would’ve burned the house down.
Fast response is all that saved it.
This decision to eliminate the fire station on Sunshine is wrong. Look for savings somewhere else.
I’ve been a permanent resident of Tuolumne County since 1988; a resident of Ridgewood since 1991 when we began building our house. We pay our share of taxes and we are careful to keep our property fire safe but sometimes even if you do everything it’s still not enough.
Please keep our fire station open.
Barbara Harvey, Ridgewood Resident
Comments from Ridgewood Residents on our local fire station
Message from Ryan Campbell to local Homeowner Association Boards
Greetings neighbors,
As I’m sure you are well aware, the Tuolumne County Board of Supervisors took the unpreceded step of reducing the size of our County Fire Department. This includes closing Fire Station 56 in Mono Vista, mothballing one type 1 fire engine and laying off 6 fire fighters. This will have impacts on fire coverage throughout the county, but it will be felt most directly in the communities of District 2 like Soulsbyville, Crystal Falls, Cedar Ridge and Willow Springs.
Despite what you might have heard, this is not a done deal. The Board of Supervisors gave direction to CalFire to come back with a plan for closing Station 56, but the fire station will continue operating through at least May 1st, with an expected closure date of July 1st.
Ryan Campbell, Tuolumne County Supervisor, District 2
One of Many Voices Leading the Charge to Save a Local Fire Station
By Engage Tuolumne Published: January 16, 2026
The following are remarks made during the 3-hour discussion at the Jan. 6 Board of Supervisors meeting about the county’s CAL FIRE contract for fiscal year 2026-2027.
Good Morning,
My name is Mario Torres. I represent CAL FIRE Local 2881 members as the union Chapter Director in Tuolumne-Calaveras Unit. I have been a local Tuolumne County resident since elementary school and have been proud to serve this community since 2006.
I’m here to speak in strong support of the CAL FIRE-Tuolumne County Fire contract. This partnership is not just a budget line item — it is the backbone of the fire service in this county and our members have built Tuolumne County Fire with pride since our partnership began in 1977.
Tuolumne County faces some of the most challenging fire conditions in the state including rugged terrain, increasing wildfire seasons, remote communities, non-sprinklered homes, increasing tourism and new developments. Because of this contract, we are able to provide professional 24-hour fire protection with five engine companies staffed with two people, advanced fire ground training and seamless mutual aid when major incidents occur.
When someone calls 911, they care about two things,
- How fast is help coming? and
- Are they prepared to save my family?
Our community expects excellence and our CAL FIRE members provide it everyday. This partnership ensures that help arrives quickly, provides in shape and highly trained firefighters that show compassion while assisting our community. Our contract also makes fiscal sense. With budget shortfalls projected, looking into replacing CAL FIRE with private fire fighting companies is wrong and is an insult to our professional firefighters.
Developing a different model without CAL FIRE would go against all past Grand Jury reports and coverage studies; require hiring, training, managing dozens of additional TC employees; unfunded PERS liability for employees would be assumed by Tuolumne County instead of CAL FIRE, dispatching costs and building an entire administrative and operational structure, just to name a few. This cost would far exceed the cost of maintaining our partnership — while providing less protection to our county.
The people behind the badge are important. A large portion of CAL FIRE members serving our county live here. Our kids go to school here. We coach kids in sports, shape futures for our youth and provide mentorship to new fire fighter recruits. We shop in local stores, volunteer and stand watch over our communities when their worst days arrive, all while solving issues daily and bringing calm to the chaos.
Your Local 2881 firefighters should be valued as a core government essential service. Every decision this board makes today shapes the safety of Tuolumne County into the future. It means choosing preparedness over risk and stability over uncertainty. I urge you to plan for expansion, keep our firefighters safe with future minimum three-person engine staffing and provide future fire station development to properly house 24/7 engine companies. The CAL FIRE contract is working. God bless our county and please make the right decision and support our Tuolumne County Fire partnership with CAL FIRE.
THANK YOU,
Mario Torres
Chapter Director
Tuolumne-Calaveras Chapter
mariovtorres2881@gmail.com
Please sign and share the Online Petition to Save Station 56
Please know that you do not have to donate or make any other commitment other than your signature!
RNA Board Meeting January 26, 2026 at the Moose Lodge @3pm
All Residents are invited to attend. If you are interested in attending, please contact Dave Ballard. We will be planning our next Firewise Event for March 2026.
Pay your 2026 dues now
You can pay your dues online using Venmo, or mail a check to the PO Box.
Please fill out the 2026 membership form and mail it to the address on the form.
Recap – Firewise Event March 9, 2025
Sunday March 9th, 2025 Firewise/RNA membership social/ Wildfire Preparation Info Mtg
To help our residents in this effort, Ridgewood 108 Firewise together with the RNA is planning an event on March 9, 2025 at the Moose Lodge from 2:00-4:00pm to bring residents and potential services together. This will be an opportunity to gauge interest and understand the needs on individual properties to prepare for the May 3rd clean up campaign.
Please save the date of March 9, 2025 to attend the RNA membership preparation social event. This event will focus on identifying properties that would like to enlist in preparing their properties by contracting services at a discount for tree trimming and skirting, weed whacking, and raking of fallen pine needles and leaves for the May 3rd pick-up and removal.
Ridgewood Neighborhood Association 