Burlington fire chief Matt Lawrence wins top state honor
Burlington fire Chief Matt Lawrence won North Carolina’s top chief honor as the city’s fire department grows to 99 personnel, six stations and 11 response units.
Burlington Fire Chief Matt Lawrence earned one of North Carolina’s highest fire-service honors Friday evening in Concord, where the North Carolina Association of Fire Chiefs named him its Career Chief of the Year. The award is the association’s most prestigious honor for chief fire officer executives, and it put Burlington’s top fire officer in a small statewide group recognized for leadership, innovation, professional development, integrity, public service and broader contributions to the fire service.
The honor matters in Burlington because Lawrence leads a department that is no longer built only for routine calls. Burlington’s organization chart lists 99 personnel across six stations, and the department’s Emergency Response Division says crews work 24-hour shifts and respond to fire, medical and other emergency calls citywide. FOX8 reported in 2025 that Burlington had 11 response units, including six engines, two ladder companies and one rescue team, as city leaders weighed how to keep pace with growth.
That growth is already visible in the numbers. FOX8 reported that Burlington’s population had increased 11% over the previous five years and was projected to grow another 17% in the next decade. For households in Burlington and surrounding Alamance County communities, that makes the chief’s job about more than ceremony. It means planning for coverage, staffing and equipment as neighborhoods expand and call volume can rise along with them.
Lawrence became Burlington fire chief effective Feb. 15, 2024, after serving as deputy fire chief since 2018. He previously worked for the Burlington Fire Department from 1997 to 2007, spent about 9 1/2 years in the city’s fire service and also served as assistant fire chief in Chapel Hill. Burlington said when he was promoted that he had more than 26 years in the fire service.
His background includes a master’s degree in Organizational Leadership, Fire/Rescue Executive Leadership, from Waldorf University, a bachelor’s degree in Fire Safety Engineering Technology from the University of Cincinnati and a Fire Protection Technology degree from Alamance Community College. He also completed the National Fire Academy Executive Fire Officer Program and the International Association of Fire Chiefs’ Fire Service Executive Development Institute, and he holds Chief Fire Officer credentialing through the Center for Public Safety Excellence.
Lawrence’s recognition also extends beyond the firehouse. He serves as president of the board of Alamance County Meals on Wheels and was honored with Alamance Community College’s 2025 Distinguished Alumni Award. Under the state association’s rules, his North Carolina recognition can also advance as a nomination for the International Association of Fire Chiefs’ Southeastern Fire Chief of the Year honor, carrying Burlington’s leadership onto a larger stage.
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