Escondido, CA–The Escondido Rotary Club presented the Escondido Police and Fire Cadet, and Explorer posts with a donation to benefit equipment, uniforms, and a training academy.
Escondido Rotary Club President Ray Diciccio and member Holly Stuard presented the donation in person at the police station.
The Escondido Police and Fire posts provide an opportunity for youth to volunteer their services in the local community, authorities said in a news release.
Police Cadets, ages 16 to 21, participate in special events such as Sobriety Checkpoints, traffic control at special events, including parades and street fairs, and various events interacting with community members. During monthly ride-a-longs, Cadets use the police radio, assist with paperwork and directly participate in most calls for service.
Fire Exploring gives young men and women ages 15 to 21-years-old valuable insight into the fire service profession by offering hands-on career activities and training. The program also builds confidence, work ethic, accountability, and teamwork through mentorship from professional firefighters, many of whom started as Fire Explorers.
Youths who are interested in being a member of one of the posts for the City of Escondido can contact Officer Jake Houchin by email at jjhouchin@escondido.org for the police post or Pat O’ Connell at poconnell@escondido.org for the fire post.
