Six new reserve firefighters are in the midst of their training, ready to soon start filling some shifts for the Escalon Consolidated Fire Protection District.

“We came up strong out of the last academy,” Escalon Fire Chief Rick Mello said of having several Modesto Fire Academy graduates come to Escalon for reserve service.

New faces at the station are Colton Bryan, Dominic Harvey, Adam Kunkel, Ricky Moore, Joshua Romersa and Roman Villalovoz.

Mello said they are progressing well in the training program with the local department and have started doing some shifts for their orientation. They will also be able to work into the 24-hour shift schedules starting later this year, picking up shifts to supplement the on-duty firefighters on the A, B and C shifts.

The chief added that they will also be eligible next year for seasonal work, from Memorial Day through the end of October, considered peak fire season.

The Escalon area, Mello said, hasn’t had to deal with any large-scale fires so far this summer.

“Statewide, it has been a very early, very busy season,” he admitted. “We’ve had a few little ones here and there but we’ve been very fortunate. Hopefully we can hold that for another couple of months.”

Escalon’s Fire District Board, meanwhile, will also start a new arrangement with the City of Escalon, as a fire committee has been approved by the City Council. That committee will include a couple of council members and a couple of fire board members, keeping the lines of communication open and meeting on a regular basis.

“That way we can air any concerns from the fire district side and talk, elected official to elected official,” Mello said of the concept. “Our board just wanted the opportunity to engage with the council.”

City council members approved the new committee earlier this month after the fire board put forth the idea for its formation.

The group will have its first meeting in early 2025.