admin posted on August 17, 2010 10:12
After serving as a firefighter and paramedic for over 30 years Matthews Fire and EMS Chief Trim Sawtelle has announced his retirement. He will retire in December. Deputy Chief Dennis Green will serve as interim chief of the department. The hiring process for a new chief will begin in 2011.
Trim Sawtelle was the first full-time paid Fire & EMS Chief for the Town of Matthews and he oversaw the transition of blending the Fire and EMS organizations into one Town Department when he was hired in 2008. Previously fire services were provided by volunteers and the Town had paid EMS staff members.
Today, the Fire and EMS department operates 24/7 with paid staff and volunteers. Paid staff operates the department Monday thru Friday during the day and volunteers respond to emergency calls on nights and weekends.
“Trim has been a valuable asset to the Town of Matthews as we worked to transition the volunteer fire department to a Town Fire & EMS Department. We wish him the best in his retirement,” said Matthews Town Manager Hazen Blodgett.
Trim Sawtelle has over 30 years of experience as a firefighter and 15 years as a
paramedic. Trim began working as a firefighter in Maryland in 1960 and joined
the Town of Matthews Volunteer Fire Department in 1981. He took a break from
firefighting when he joined the U.S. Army in 1966. He retired from the U.S. Army
as a Lieutenant Colonel.
During his years with the Matthews Volunteer Fire Department he worked his
way up the ranks, serving as a firefighter, captain, training captain, and volunteer
chief. Additionally, he had 15 years of experience with MEDIC, serving as a crew chief and field training. He is also a N.C. Fire Instructor.
Trim is a graduate of The Citadel and the Command and General Staff College at
Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. He holds an associate degree in Fire Protection
Technology from Central Piedmont Community College. He has also completed
Firefighter II and EMT courses.
He is a past member of the Oasis Shriner Temple and past master of the Meridian Masonic Lodge. He is the First Vice President of the Mecklenburg County Volunteer Firemen’s Association and a past president of the group.
Trim and his wife, Sarah, have a daughter, Michelle; a son, Matthew, who is a
firefighter with the Charlotte Fire Department and three grandchildren.
Dennis Green has worked for the Town of Matthews since 1991 when he was named Chief of the EMS Department. He has served as Deputy Chief of the Town’s Fire & EMS Department since 2008. A native of Mecklenburg County, Dennis began his career in emergency management as a volunteer with the U-Meck Rescue Squad in 1975.
He has attended classes at Anson-Stanly Technical College and Central Piedmont Community College. He is certified as a Firefighter II, Emergency Medical Technician, and Emergency Rescue Technician. He was a certified paramedic for 12 years and served as a shift supervisor for Union County EMS. He has served as an instructor for numerous emergency management classes at Anson Stanly Technical College over the years.
Prior to his career in emergency management Dennis was a licensed locksmith and owned Green’s Lock Service.
Dennis and his wife, Kelly, who works for the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department, are very active in the community. He is a member of Matthews United Methodist Church where he is involved in the missions of the church. He is an Assistant Scoutmaster of Troop 39 and the Post Advisor for the Fire & EMS Explorers Post. He is a Homeland Security Grant Reviewer and a former member of the N.C. Office of EMS Advisory Council. He has previously served as vice chair for the N.C. Locksmith Licensing Board.