Completing 20 years of service as the Escalon Fire Chief, Rick Mello enjoyed taking the microphone as the emcee for the fire department’s 17th annual Appreciation Dinner, hosted Friday night, May 1 at the Azores Band Hall. He admitted it likely will be his last dinner as chief, since he is planning to retire within the next year.
There were some special service pins and awards presented and a number of guests invited to the dinner, including San Joaquin County Sheriff Pat Withrow and Assistant Sheriff Marcus Smith, along with representatives from the Escalon Police Department and the City of Escalon.
The evening included a social time, followed by the catered dinner. Fire board chair Zach Hogan provided the official welcome for the evening and the prayer was offered by Brenda Davis, whose late husband Jim Davis served as the department chaplain for many years.
All members of the Escalon Fire Board were in attendance. Along with chairperson Hogan they include Joe Camara, Mickey Schilber, Laura Catrina and Jason Koops.
Chief Mello introduced his Battalion Chiefs, Joe Pelot and Moe Silva, who were both in attendance. Staff at the department also includes engineers Cassidy Bohannon and Ryan Burr, firefighter Dylan Criteser, and Administrative Assistant Katy House, who Mello credited with doing much of the planning for the Friday night dinner.
In presenting service pins, Mello noted the five-year anniversaries of reserves Mark Bennett, Kaden Christensen and Nathan Rodriguez.
Mello, himself, was recognized for 20 years of service and Battalion Chief Silva was honored for 30 years of service to the department. Offering special proclamations for Mello and Silva were Scott Tyrrell, representing San Joaquin County Fifth District Supervisor Robert Rickman, and Couper Condit, representing State Assemblyman Heath Flora.
Members of the board also presented a special plaque to Mello, as he looks toward retirement, thanking him for his dedication to the department.
For his part, Mello said he has appreciated working with the board, his staff and the reserve firefighters, as well as cooperating with other local agencies including the police department, ambulance corps, city personnel and the sheriff’s department.
In addition to the three five-year reserves, others filling shifts at the department include Jonathan Boudreaux, Giavanni Brunetti, Hector Guzman, Julien Harrison, Dominic Harvey, Carson Medina, Benjamin Miller, Samuel Montes, Stephen Percey, Joseph Roach, Joshua Romersa, Kamdin Stephens, Robert Vierra and Colton Weber.
Mello told those at the dinner that Vierra and Romersa are recent graduates of the Columbia Fire Academy and Percey is due to graduate soon from the MJC Fire Academy.
After door prizes were awarded, Hogan took the opportunity for one more word of thanks to the chief.
No matter what the issue, Hogan told the crowd, Mello has “handled it all” with poise.
“Really appreciate the way he has managed the budget, managed the department, went out and found money, been resourceful, he’s just figured it out,” Hogan said.
