About Ripon Guardian Ambulance
HISTORY
Ripon Guardian Ambulance Service (RGAS) is municipally owned and operated by the City of Ripon. Established in 1977 as an EMT-Basic ambulance service, we advanced to the Advanced EMT level in 1985. In 1990, we further enhanced our capabilities by adding defibrillator certification. On January 1, 2016, we reached a significant milestone by upgrading to a paramedic service which is the highest level of pre-hospital care. This advancement was made possible through the generous support of the Ripon Medical Center Foundation, which provided funding for the training required to launch our paramedic program.
WHO WE SERVE
We proudly serve the City of Ripon, Town of Ripon, Town of Rosendale, Village of Rosendale, Village of Fairwater, Town of Nepeuskun, and the northern half of both the Town of Metomen and Springvale. Our district spans approximately 162 square miles.
LEADERSHIP:
Mitchell Matuszeski - EMS Chief
Ryan Huser - Assistant EMS Chief and Training Officer
Medical Director - Dr. Jason Geiger, SSM Healthcare
CALL VOLUME
We currently average approximately five ambulance calls per day. In 2025 we responded to 1,730 calls for service.
STAFFING
Our team primarily consists of highly trained and dedicated part-time and paid-on-call professionals. Three full-time paramedics, one being the EMS Chief, supplement the part-time and paid-on-call personnel.
We offer a highly flexible scheduling system, allowing employees to choose when they are available for on-call shifts. This flexibility enables many of our team members, who have full-time jobs elsewhere, to balance their primary careers while still contributing to the service.
OPERATIONS
Our primary ambulance, MED 1, is staffed 24/7 with at least one paramedic and one EMT or AEMT.
On weekdays from 8 AM to 6 PM, MED 1 is staffed with on-site personnel ensuring immediate response capabilities. During weekend, evening, and overnight hours the ambulance is staffed by a combination of full-time and paid-on-call employees. Those who live in or near the City of Ripon may respond to the station from home when a call is received.
We are dispatched by the Fond du Lac County Emergency Dispatch Center, with each ambulance equipped with a mobile data computer for receiving computer-aided dispatch information. Additionally, all report forms are completed electronically via a tablet in each ambulance.
APPARATUS
RGAS operates with three fully equipped ALS ambulances and a medical response vehicle, allowing a paramedic to respond quickly and directly to the scene when needed.
- 2014 Lifeline Ford E450 Ambulance
- 2018 Lifeline Ford E450 Ambulance
- 2022 Lifeline Ford E450 Ambulance
- 2022 Ford F150 SSV Medical Response Vehicle
EMS CHIEFS
Joe Erdmann 1977-1984
Bill Locke 1984-1994
Lindabeth Angle 1994-2005
John Teachout 2005-2021
Mitchell Matuszeski 2021-Present