An influx of students from throughout the area arrived on the Escalon High School campus on Thursday morning, Dec. 4, ready to take part in a number of events as EHS hosted its second annual fire competition.
“There were a total of 81 competitors from nine different schools across three counties,” said instructor Su Davis, who helped coordinate the competition. She and her husband Seth Davis oversee the EMT/Fire Science program at Escalon.
Schools involved included host Escalon along with Linden, Delta Charter, Lodi, Tokay, Bear Creek, Lathrop, Tracy and Livingston.
Events ranged from the turnout gear two-minute drill to tool identification, dragging a rescue ‘dummy’ to safety around an obstacle course, using a battering ram to break down a door and more.
At the end of the event, point totals showed the top male and female competitors were both from Escalon High School, with Andrew Armosino the male division winner and Chloe Green the female division winner.
The top 10 overall finishers were Escalon’s Armosino in first, followed by Gavin Phillips, Escalon; Jesus Zuniga, Linden; Ezekiel Garcia, Escalon; Isaac Rivera Buitimea, Lodi; Otto Perreira, Escalon; Mason Haverkamp, Escalon; Jacoby Delfino, Tracy; Benjamin Lester, Escalon; and Michael Vallery, Linden.
Green was first among the female competitors and finished 12th overall among all competitors.
A senior, Green has been involved in the program all four years of high school. She did EMT 1 as a freshman, EMT 2 as a sophomore, First Responder/Leadership as a junior and this year, is involved in the Fire Science class. She is planning to pursue a career in nursing.
“Being involved in this program is super fun, the Davis’s are amazing, they help us out so much and I just feel like I’m always learning something new and it’s helping me toward my career,” Green said.
Since this is her first year in Fire Science, the competition was new but something she embraced, having the chance to test her skill set against those from other schools. There also was a sense of pride in hosting the event, showcasing Escalon’s classroom environment for attendees from other schools.
“It teaches you how to try new things and just put yourself out there,” she added of being involved in the class. “I feel like we’re just all trying our best here and it’s helping us to become better people, trying new things and adapting to situations.”
Along with some Escalon students serving as timekeepers and scorers, there were a number of fire services personnel from around the region that assisted as well.
They included Zach Pinol, Cosumnes Fire; Larry Modouski, Lathrop Assistant Chief and David Bramil, Lathrop Chief; Bob Davis, Retired Manteca Battalion Chief; Matt Hutchinson, Retired Captain, Modesto Fire; Danny Vickers, Hayward Fire Captain; Keith Scott, Manteca Fire Captain; Josh Cummings, Modesto Fire Captain/Bear Training Solutions; Nicole Gisell, Cal Fire Assistant Chief; and several personnel from Escalon Fire Department.
Vickers, who works in Hayward but is an Escalon resident, said the competition is extremely useful for the students taking part in the fire science classes at the schools, providing a practical, hands-on way to utilize their skills. He also praised the efforts of instructors, Seth and Su Davis, for building the program from the ground up at EHS.
“It’s pretty special, what they have done, not only for the Escalon Unified School District but the community of Escalon,” Vickers pointed out. “We have multiple school districts competing in different fire exercises to help prepare them for the future of being a firefighter.”
Even for those that aren’t necessarily planning a career in fire service, Vickers said it is time well spent and skills that can be used in many areas.
“Life skills, the environment, the education, especially the life skills, to realize that, hey, afterward (high school) you’ve got to go work, hustle, get a job,” he said. “It prepares you for interviews, prepares you for real life.”
