As more details emerged about the origin of the Park Fire, I wondered what kind of staffing goes into maintaining the park. I mean, where were the rangers when all this was happening?
Click to access webcityemployeesbydepartment_4.pdf
I was shocked – only two sworn park rangers? One is listed with the police department, the other with parks. A former ranger has been moved up to “Asst Parks Manager”.
Was this the reason for the slow response to the scene? The man was witnessed behaving erratically and driving his car in a dangerous and destructive manner. Calls were made, but by the time emergency responders arrived, the fire was out of control and on its way to destroying whole communities miles from Chico.
Here’s a scenario from a parallel universe – two rangers in the Upper Park, every day, seven days a week. These sworn officers would patrol the park road and all the swimming holes and parking lots from between the golf course/shooting ranger area and the end of the road. I believe this man would have been arrested if we had two rangers on duty every day and they worked the road and various parking lots diligently. Like Ranger Bob – he would have caught the guy, let’s face it you couldn’t get anything over on Ranger Bob.
How to pay for it? They just raised our sales tax promising us better and safer parks and instituted a $2 a day charge for bringing a car into the upper park. They said they would be hiring more sworn rangers – when? Crime has been a problem for years, when do we get more law enforcement in the park? Is it some kind of no man’s land?
I will just have to wonder what Ranger Bob would say.
Chico Taxpayers Association 
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