WAXHAW, NC – On Wednesday, March 6, the Waxhaw VFD welcomed their new additions in a Meet and Greet for new members.  Including a town hall meeting, individual introductions, certificates from the Bill Kennelly Memorial Scholarship Fund, and dinner from Queens South, the new members were heartily welcomed to their new home.  Chief Gregory Sharpe explained, “The Waxhaw Community Volunteer Fire Department and Rescue Squad, Inc. has been awarded a Federal Emergency Management Agency Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant to hire career firefighter/EMTs.”  The Waxhaw VFD recruited from all over the Carolinas, including their own station, when deciding who to promote to these new career roles.  So far, eight career firefighters have been added to the roster.

Introducing Waxhaw’s first career firefighters (in alphabetical order):

Julian Archie – Started in the fire service at the age of 14 and has worked diligently to attain his firefighter and EMT certifications as well as several other certifications including trench rescue, Chief 101, Health & Safety Officer, and Incident Safety Officer. He serves with the Turkey Creek VFD and has worked as a career firefighter on the NC coast for the past 6 years. He also served his country in the United States Marine Corps. He has additional experience working part-time for a private rescue service in Delaware. He currently lives in Sneads Ferry, NC.

Bridget Quinn – Has been with the Waxhaw VFD since September of 2018. She has performed well throughout her time with the department. She has her NC Firefighter and EMT certifications and has 7 years of experience in the fire service. She obtained her driver operator qualifications with the WVFD, and she continues to train hard to ensure great service to our fire district.

Kevin “Jalen” Benjamin – Has been with our department since he was 16 years old.  He has worked his way up through the Junior Program, achieved his NC Firefighter & EMT certifications, and has worked on paid staff since shortly after graduating from high school. Jalen lives in Waxhaw and has been a valuable asset for us.

William Kennelly – Has been with our department since he was 16 years old and has progressed through the Junior Program and obtained his NC Firefighter and EMT certifications shortly after his high school graduation and moved onto paid employment. Will lives in Waxhaw and has proven to be a strong asset for the fire department.

Michael Korsch – Has been a volunteer firefighter/EMT with Matthews Fire Department since 2019. He graduated from Cuthbertson High School in 2016 and worked for the Town of Matthews public works prior to joining the Waxhaw VFD. He is an NC-certified firefighter and EMT and is excited to grow with his first career firefighting appointment in Waxhaw.

Jacob Rodriguez – Has been in the fire service since he was 15. He began as an Explorer with Matthews Fire Department and became a volunteer firefighter upon turning 18 and receiving his NC firefighter certification. Along with being a career firefighter with Waxhaw VFD, he also serves on the part-time paid staff with Bakers VFD.

Peter Skrobot – Has been with our department for a little over 3 years and obtained his NC firefighter certification in 2010. He has also served with the Matthews Fire Department and the Mineral Springs VFD. Pete currently serves as a Captain for our department and will continue to do so in his new role. Pete has shown strong leadership since being promoted to Captain and has taken on new responsibilities with rescue and tower training.

Tanner Sulkey – Has been with our department as a part-time paid firefighter/EMT since October of 2020. He began in the fire service as an Explorer with the Matthews VFD and obtained his firefighter certification through the Cleveland County Community College Fire Academy upon turning 18. He obtained his EMT certification from South Piedmont Community College. He previously worked for Mineral Springs VFD and is currently a volunteer with the Idlewild VFD. In his relatively short time with us, he has shown he is eager to improve his craft and willing to work hard to accomplish whatever task he is assigned.

The Bill Kennelly Memorial Scholarship Fund was created to honor Bill Kennelly’s service.  Donna Kennelly, the President, explains, “The scholarship was started as a decision by myself and my children on the way to NJ for Bill’s funeral in June 2018.  We didn’t want to see people spending lots of money on flowers that were going to die or be thrown away.  We decided to request in lieu of flowers to make a donation to the scholarship and give back as Bill did his entire life. He was a volunteer firefighter for 34 years and a police officer for 26 years.  He always laughed and said he wanted a baseball field and a sandwich named after him.  Since we could not get those things done initially, it just made perfect sense to continue his legacy with a scholarship. Each year there are 3 scholarships awarded: one for a student-athlete at Cuthbertson High School where Bill was a coach, one for the child of a police officer at either Waxhaw PD or Middletown PD in NJ where Bill was an officer, and the third to a student with ties to the fire department in either Waxhaw or Middletown.”

“The scholarship website is www.BigCountry235.com,” continues Donna.  “The application is posted on the website along with events and a donation link.  Applications are due by May 29th (Bill’s birthday). Once all applications are received, they are sent out to the board of directors to be read and ranked. Once they are sent back, the awards are announced at the ceremony, if one is held, and live on the Big Country 235 Forever FB page.”

“The first awards were given on June 12, 2019, on the one-year anniversary of his passing,” she adds.  “Last year the ceremony had to be canceled due to COVID, but the awards were still given out on that day. This year is the third year, and due to COVID, the awards will be given out after a car cruise-through Waxhaw, which will include cars from the Waxhaw Coffee Cruisers, Carolina Cruise4Kids, Carolina Cruise4Jeeps, and KMS Motorsports. Featured in the cruise will be the Waxhaw Fire Department ladder truck that is dedicated to Bill, along with the other new trucks obtained this year.”

Also on March 6, Eagle Scout Candidate Beck Spittle created a fire pit and rest area for the firehouse.  Bordered by brick with a gravel base and a brick fire pit, it also features Adirondack chairs and is next to the BBQ.  This space will allow the crew to relax outside day or night.

Congratulations to Waxhaw’s newest Career Fire Fighters!  If you are interested in joining the Waxhaw Volunteer Fire Department, please visit their website at http://waxhawvfd.org/