The Bernalillo County Fire Department has a new chief.
The county commission has appointed Frank Barka to the post. County officials say his selection followed an extensive search.
Barka has served as the department's interim chief since August 2012. Before that, he was the department's deputy chief of support services and also worked as a fire marshal.
Barka joined the department in 1995 after serving as fire chief in Valencia County for 10 years. He was also a volunteer firefighter for five years.
Copyright 2013 The Associated Press.