MILAN, N.M. – Milan Police Chief Carl Ustupski presented Officer Richard Aragon with a Letter of Commendation for his heroic efforts on the night of January 5, 2023 in response to a house fire in the Village of Milan. As the Chief of Police put it at the Board of Trustees meeting Thursday evening, “Officer Aragon was just doing his job,” and he went on to say that sometimes just doing one’s job deserves recognition.
The thirty year law enforcement veteran was only a few blocks away from the scene when he received a call that a mobile home was ablaze. According to Officer Aragon, “I was first on scene, so I identified the residents, made contact with the family members. There was a lot of chaos. Once I established that the residents were out of the house, I moved to nearby homes. When the fire department arrived, I secured the scene.”
As Fire Chief Urioste took control of the situation, Officer Aragon informed the ambulance crew that an adult female was in need of medical attention, before going to a neighboring house and asking the resident to leave as the flames could potentially spread to her home, according to the Police Department Incident Report.
Officer Aragon has played many diverse roles in his public safety career. He has worked for Laguna and Acoma Pueblos, the states of Colorado, Arizona, and Nevada. “My job before this was Highway Safety Enforcement Officer at Laguna. Coming here was a hard transition because I was used to so much open space. This is a little town.”
Aragon, who spent twenty-four years in the military (Active and Reserves) while policing said he hopes to last another seven years in law enforcement before retiring. “The job has its ups and downs, but it’s good. It’s like family here.”