"Dear Chief Lee: I am in a unique situation this year in that as Commander of Troop 1 in Santa Fe, I am proud of all of the accomplishments of my troop and officers, yet I was made aware of an officer in another troop who I was so impressed with that I am nominating him for Trooper of the Year.

"This officer is Sergeant Jerome Aguilar of Artesia."

This letter written by Lt. Robert A. Vail of the New Mexico Mounted Patrol (NMMP), Troop 1, Santa Fe, is one of the reasons Jerome Aguilar, firefighter and EMT with the Artesia Fire Department and sergeant in the NMMP, was voted Trooper of the Year for 2002.

The main reason, however, is his love of helping others.

Aguilar was born and raised in Artesia, graduating from Artesia High School in 1976. He played football for the Artesia Bulldogs and attributes his work ethic and desire to achieve to his athletic experience.

"I owe a lot to athletics," says Aguilar. "Some young people don’t understand that it really teaches you a lot about life.

"Coach Phipps and Coach Harvey always told us that if they could do it, we could do it, and I really believe that. That’s really kept me going, and I give a lot of thanks to those people, because being involved in athletics really taught me a lot."

As for his chosen career, a single, defining moment in Aguilar’s life inspired his decision to enter into the field of public service.

The Bulldogs were playing in a state championship game in Lovington when a fan in the bleachers suffered a heart attack.

"Nobody out of those hundreds of people knew CPR," says Aguilar. "I told one of my buddies at the game that I was going to go to the fire department and learn CPR."

The fire department asked Aguilar if he would be interested in becoming a volunteer firefighter, and it took only one fire to make him realize that this was his calling.

He went to school to become an EMT and entered the Artesia Fire Department as a firefighter/EMT in 1989.

"I love my job," says Aguilar. "We all want to help people – that’s what it’s all about. I would bet that 95 percent of the people working here really love their job."

Aguilar became involved with the NMMP in 1999, when he was certified after 18 weeks of training.

The NMMP is an entity designed to work alongside any other public service agency that needs their assistance.

"I think they’re a great department to work for," Aguilar says. "They’re a great group of guys. We just go out and do whatever we need to do, whenever we’re asked."

Over the years, Aguilar, who has a wife, Kelli, and three children, Jordan, 12, Preslee, 10, and Peyton, 3, has remained a well-known and well-respected member of the community. People recognize him as a kind, generous and hard-working person.

Therefore, it was little surprise to those approached by Lt. Vail concerning Aguilar that he had gone above and beyond the call of duty yet again.

Lt. Vail and his family were involved in an accident on U.S. 285, en route to Carlsbad. Their first encounter with Aguilar was at the scene, where Vail noted the "extra special care" he took while tending to their injuries.

The injuries were minor. However, the loss of their vehicle left the Vails stranded in Artesia without transportation, and they had resigned themselves to the fact that they would also miss the important meeting they were bound for in Carlsbad.

Aguilar, knowing that there were no car rental options available in Artesia on a Sunday, offered his personal car to the Vails so that they could make their meeting on time. While they were returning from Carlsbad, he arranged for a rental car to be delivered from Roswell to Artesia so that their plans would not need to be altered.

"By now, I am completely bowled over, and my family can’t believe that one person can be so helpful," writes Vail.

"I truly feel that a person of this stature and kind heartedness deserves the Mounted Patrol Award of Trooper of the Year."

"I’m honored," says Aguilar of his selection. "I appreciate it very much."

"I think it’s great," says Captain Kent Bratcher of the AFD. "It shows his great dedication to both the department and to doing his civic duty."