Today I received a visit from Lt. Joseph Rowland of the Valencia County Sheriff’s Office. Lt. Rowland honored our department with certificates of Commendation for several of the Belen Police Departments Officers for their assistance with the Big Hole Fire that occurred on April 11, 2022.
Congratulations to Deputy Chief Jose Natividad, Lt. Adam Keck, Sgt. Jerome Cordova, Sgt. Mario Vallejos, Sgt. Jason Skopek, Officer Christopher Robinson, Officer Sarah Martinez, Officer Pedro Chavez, Officer Anthony Jaramillo, Detective Joe Rodriguez, Officer Nikolas Reyes and Officer Kyanna Garcia for a job well done. the professionalism, courtesy and compassion you showed during this incident makes me proud to be your chief.
Lt. Rowland did an amazing job as the law enforcement incident commander during this difficult and dangerous fire, his leadership as well as the dedication and leadership provided by all the first responders, fire and police agencies, community leaders and elected officials provided the tools and expertise to significantly limit the damage and destruction from the horrific event.
A special thank you to Sheriff Denise Vigil for her continued efforts to ensure a strong and ethical working relationship between all emergency responders within the county she has sworn to protect.
Chief James Harris
Original source can be found here.
