Please join SFPE Greater Charlotte for an in-person event at SAFE Fire Detection that will review different specialized detectors and then demonstrate their effectiveness using a live fire test. Please register by September 4. Lunch will be provided.
Title: Choosing the Right Detector: A Demonstration of Detector Response to Live Fires
Objectives
Presenter
Scot Robertson, President / CEO
Please join us on October 27, 2026 at Dilworth Neighborhood Grille to hear from Matt Bixler to learn about his experiences in his first year as Mecklenburg County Fire Marshal! Lunch will be served at roughly 11:45am and the presentation will start at 12pm.
Key Topics:
Presenter: Matt Bixler, County Fire Marshal - Mecklenburg County Fire Marshal's Office
Matt Bixler, an experienced fire investigator and public safety leader, has been named Mecklenburg County's fire marshal, effective October 6, 2025. With over 20 years in fire service, law enforcement, and emergency services, he brings a wide breadth of expertise in fire, arson, and explosion investigations. Matt served as Deputy Fire Marshal with FMO since 2018. Previously, he served as a Deputy Sheriff with the Mecklenburg County Sheriff's Office, as well as a firefighter in Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom and at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Fire Department.
Matt holds a B.S. in Fire, Arson, and Explosion Investigation from Eastern Kentucky University and is pursuing an M.S. in Fire Executive Leadership in Public Administration. He is a certified fire investigator, certified fire and explosives investigator, and an active member of several professional fire service organizations. He also serves on the executive board of the Mecklenburg County Firefighter's Burned Children Fund and serves as an Associate Member with Cornelius Fire Rescue.
Please join SFPE Greater Charlotte for an in-person event at Honeywell's Charlotte HQ in Uptown that will include live demonstrations, a guided experience tour, and a discussion of technical topics. Please register by November 1. Lunch will be provided. See the attached flyer for additional information: SFPE Charlotte HW Demo Event (Updated).docx
Title: Live Demonstrations of Detection, Architecture, and Service Technologies
Presenters
Jon Jennings, Regional Sales Manager
David M. Leffingwell, Life Safety Leader
David M. Leffingwell is a Honeywell life safety leader supporting Gamewell-FCI and Li-ion Tamer, with more than 28 years of experience in fire alarm, detection, and building safety. David served with Hard Fire Suppression, where he spent 15 years as a Gamewell-FCI Engineered Systems Distributor, developing deep field experience in fire alarm systems, suppression integration, code-driven design, customer support, and channel execution. His work reflects a life-safety-first solutions approach: leading with the protection of people, property, operations, and community trust before moving into product, system, or commercial strategy. Today, David brings that practical background into Honeywell’s life safety portfolio, helping advance Gamewell-FCI fire alarm solutions and Li-ion Tamer’s early-warning off-gas detection technology for lithium-ion battery applications.
SFPE Greater Charlotte is a non-profit, all-volunteer, professional organization.