Albuquerque Fire Rescue Honors Lieutenant Ron Herrera’s Career
Apparatus bay and engine dedication ceremony in honor of unprecedented service.
The career and legacy of Lieutenant Ron Herrera was celebrated yesterday with a plaque and engine dedication. Albuquerque Fire Rescue is proud to honor Lieutenant Ron Herrera for an unprecedented 53 years of service to the City of Albuquerque. In recognition of his record-setting career and unmatched dedication, Station 21’s apparatus bay was named in his honor, and his name was permanently placed on the officer’s door of Engine 21.
Lieutenant Herrera began his career in 1973 as a member of the 24th Cadet Class. His first assignment was to Station 15, a brand-new station on Academy, before transferring to Station 2 on High Street—one of Albuquerque’s most storied and active firehouses. Known for his dedication and calm under pressure, Herrera experienced multiple close calls during his career, including surviving a propane explosion at the Carpenter’s Union Hall in 1978 and a heart attack while on duty in 2012. In both cases, he credited his survival to his training, his equipment, and the strength of his crew.
Over the decades, Lieutenant Herrera served across the city at Engine 4, 6, 14, 18, and the Alarm Room, before finding his home at Station 21, where he served as Company Officer for over a decade. His impact on generations of firefighters has been immeasurable, shaping the very culture and identity of the Albuquerque Fire Department and Albuquerque Fire Rescue.
“Lieutenant Herrera is more than a firefighter—he’s a living piece of this department’s history,” said Fire Chief Emily Jaramillo. “His name on Engine 21 represents not just his 53 years of service, but the thousands of lives he’s touched along the way. His legacy will live on every time Engine 21 responds and every time these crews turn out of this apparatus bay.”
“Fifty-three years of service. Fifty-three years of strength. Fifty-three years of stories that built the very foundation of this department and Albuquerque”, said Mayor Tim Keller. “Lieutenant Herrera’s 53 years of service is unprecedented and a perfect example of why we continue to tell these Stories of Us.”
Lieutenant Ron Herrera, thank you for your lifetime of service, leadership, and sacrifice. Enjoy your well-earned retirement—you’ve earned it, twice.