SFPE Greater Charlotte upcoming events

Choosing the Right Detector: A Demonstration of Detector Response to Live Fires (22 Sep 2026)

Tue, 22 Sep 2026 15:30:00 GMT

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

Discuss different types of specialized detection and understand how they function
Demonstrate detector response to live fires
Understand why certain detector technologies are better suited for specific applications

Presenter

Scot Robertson, President / CEO

Scot Robertson is Head of Engineering and President/CEO of Safe Fire Detection. He holds a Bachelors in Material Science Engineering from North Carolina State University. Scot has more than 10 years of experience in the Fire Detection industry, and is NICET Level 4 certified for Fire Alarm. Over his time at Safe Fire Detection, Scot has developed significant experience regarding Linear Heat Detection Cable, Air Sampling Fire and Smoke Detection, Optical Flame Detection, Water Leak Detection, and Fire System Design.

My First Year as County Fire Marshal: Progress, Partnerships, and the Path Forward (27 Oct 2026)

Tue, 27 Oct 2026 15:30:00 GMT

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:

Lessons learned from his first year,
His office's biggest challenges,
The biggest fire hazards of today and looking ahead, and
What makes a good fire protection engineer?

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.

Honeywell Live Demonstrations of Detection, Architecture, and Service Technologies (10 Nov 2026)

Tue, 10 Nov 2026 16:30:00 GMT

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

Objectives

Distributed and standalone fire alarm architectures
Advanced detection applications and air sampling technologies
Survivability and scalability in high-rise, campus, and mission-critical environments
System diagnostics, service visibility, and troubleshooting methodologies

Presenters

Jon Jennings, Regional Sales Manager

Jon Jennings is a Regional Sales Manager for Honeywell Fire supporting the Gamewell-FCI, platform across the Southeast United States. He works closely with engineered system distributors, consulting engineers, and end users on fire alarm system design, advanced detection technologies, and application specific solutions for commercial and mission-critical environments. He is a graduate of Emory University.

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.