Bagley sworn in as county fire chief

BERNALILLO — The room was full of firefighters June 25 at the Sandoval County Commission meeting, but there was no fire.

Instead, interim Sandoval County Fire Chief Chris Bagley was being sworn in as the official fire chief. Respective fire chiefs from Bernalillo, Corrales and Rio Rancho fire departments were all present for the ceremony.

“Its a super tight-knit community in the fire service, and the fact that all these people are here showing up to support ... this is a big thing,” Commission Chair Mike Meek said. Meek is also a former fire chief from Rio Rancho, also noting that he thinks it’s important to promote from within.

Former chief Eric Masterson performed the swearing in.

“The fire service is deeply rooted in tradition. One such tradition is the oath of office, which dates back to the early days of our nation,” Masterson said.

He talked about the duty firefighters carry and the importance of the oath, especially for someone leading them.

“I’ve known Chief Bagley for about 20 years now, and he was one of my mentors growing up. I have full confidence that Chief Bagley will carry this legacy forward,” he said.

Bagley has 40 years in the county and five additional years in the state, according to Masterson. He added that Bagley has served in the United States Marine Corps.

Bagley was humbled by the recognition and the position as chief.

“I never would have thought in a million years that I would ever have this position. I was perfectly happy to retire as the deputy chief, but somebody got bigger aspirations and left us. I couldn’t stand the thought of another person from the outside coming in and taking this job,” he said.

He added that he took the job knowing he has an “amazing team.”

“I look forward to the challenges thrown at me,” he said.

As Masterson performed the swearing in, Bagley was backed by his wife and kids, all of whom had smiles on their faces.