Burnes was one of three long-serving officers who moved up the ranks following a rare simultaneous promotion last month. The Bethel resident is pursuing a master’s degree in public administration from Marist College in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. He also has degrees in criminal justice and public safety administration. Before the promotion, he was a field training coordinator and was in charge of the department’s major accident team. Besides working at the middle school, Burnes has run the department’s car seat technician program.