Sandoval County Fire & Rescue holds badge-pinning ceremony

For the first time since 2020, Sandoval County Fire & Rescue was able to hold a badge-pinning ceremony to recognize employees who have been promoted to new positions Friday at the Fire & Rescue Administration Building in Bernalillo.

Fire Chief Eric Masterson hosted the ceremony that was attended by more than 75 people, including Sandoval County Manager Wayne Johnson, Sheriff Jesse James Casaus and Rio Rancho Fire Chief James Defillippo.

The ceremony was to recognize the promotions of Deputy Chief Chris Bagley, Deputy Chief Sean Kissane, Battalion Chief Adam Quinn, Battalion Chief Mathew Miller, Battalion Chief Lawrence Gutierrez, Capt. Shannon Farrell, Lt. Gabrial Hernandez and Lt. Lauren Zabicki.

“It is my honor and pleasure to host today’s event and recognize these men and women being pinned and taking their oath,” Masterson said. “The ceremony, for some, has been several years in the making with various circumstances that impacted the globe and here in Sandoval County as well those past three years. A ceremony like this was incredibly not feasible. Well, we have all overcome those challenges and those various circumstances and are here today to finally celebrate.”

Bagley was promoted in 2021; Kissane, Quinn, Hernandez and Zabicki were promoted in 2022; and Farrell, Gutierrez and Miller were promoted this year. Friday, they all got their chance to celebrate.

“My wife has a saying that goes, ‘That which goes uncelebrated exits our life,'” Johnson said. “So we’re here today to celebrate what you’ve accomplished.”

Each of the guests of honor took turns taking an oath to perform their new position to the best of their ability and had bugles pinned to their collars by a loved one.

“The time long before radios, firehouses used trumpets,” Masterson said. “A simple megaphone type tool to give commands. The trumpet quickly became a symbol of authority. The trumpets remain as that same symbol of authority.”