MONTAGUE CENTER — The Montague Center Fire Department has officially pinned its new chief.

Turners Falls Fire Capt. Luke Hartnett was sworn into the top spot Thursday evening and retiring Fire Chief David Hansen pinned his badge to his successor’s chest.

Hartnett, 45, is a 25-year fire service veteran and was one of two applicants who interviewed with the department’s Prudential Committee to replace Hansen, who will retire June 30 after nearly four decades of firefighting.

Hartnett, who will still remain a captain with the Turners Falls department, said it is an honor to serve as fire chief in Montague Center.

“It is just remarkable to be a part of it and extremely humbling to think of what’s about to happen today,” Hartnett said prior to the pinning ceremony. “I went to school with retired Chief [John] Greene’s daughter and retired Chief Hansen’s daughter. … These guys were icons in the community and to think that I may even be close to stepping into that role is amazing and it’s very humbling.”

Hansen said Hartnett is an excellent choice to take the helm at the department.

“We’re absolutely thrilled,” Hansen said. “We work hand-in-hand with Turners Falls Fire, so we know them very well and we know Luke very well. He offered to join us and help out, so that was wonderful. I think it’s great.”

The new Montague Center fire chief’s career began a few miles east on Route 2 in Erving, where he was recruited by his best friend and current Deputy Chief Ryan Betters. Betters, Hartnett said, invited him to one of the Erving Fire Department’s meetings. From there, “it’s been a fun, awesome ride.”

On top of municipal service, Hartnett also spent “many years” working for the state Department of Conservation and Recreation in its fire control program.

“Each one of them had phenomenal chiefs and leadership that just have taught me so much,” he said of his previous and current departments. “I’m still learning every day from them and I’m still a student of the fire service.”

He added that when he started firefighting a quarter of a century ago, he had “no real aspirations” of climbing the ranks to fire chief.

“It’s been an accumulation of events that led to it,” Hartnett continued. “It’s been a great path that I’m still going to keep walking on, and I’ve been enjoying every step alongside these great folks.”

As Hartnett steps into the role, he said his goal is to keep the department working as effectively as it has under his predecessors.

“Continuing that phenomenal service that the firefighters and EMTs and officers here have been doing,” Hartnett said of his goals. “I like to think of it as, they’re an orchestra and I’m just a maestro that’s behind the scenes. They’re the ones who do the amazing work.”

Chris Larabee can be reached at clarabee@recorder.com.