Matthew Bixler Named New County Fire Marshal

A familiar face is taking the top spot at the Mecklenburg County Fire Marshal’s Office (FMO).  

Matt Bixler, an experienced fire investigator and public safety leader, has been named Mecklenburg County’s new Fire Marshal, effective Oct. 6. 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.

Public service is in Bixler’s blood; his father was in law enforcement and helped start the first ambulance service in East Windsor, CT, his uncles were in the fire service, and his brother is a firefighter/engineer with the City of Charlotte Fire Department. Bixler’s son was also a junior firefighter with his dad and uncle at Cornelius Fire Rescue, before enlisting in the U.S. Navy this year.

“Being around it, you catch the love of it,” Bixler said. “You have purpose and meaning in life when you’re serving others and making sure your community is safe.”  

Bixler has 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.

“You’re dealing with people on the worst day of their life, whether it’s a house fire or a car accident or another emergency,” Bixler noted of his time in the field. “You’re there to do what you can to make their life better.”  

And while Bixler will spend far less time on a fire truck zooming from scene to scene, his mission remains the same: keeping his community safe. In his new role, Bixler is responsible for managing the FMO, overseeing new construction and ongoing mandated inspections, and planning reviews, investigations, public education and outreach programs. He will also serve as the liaison to fire departments throughout the County and towns.  

While his new role is a lot more administrative than his previous ones, it allows him a greater vantage point.

“I have the same mission of being of service, it’s just in a different capacity where it allows me to get ahead of issues in the community,” said Bixler. “Our office identifies fire hazards, finds common themes affecting a certain neighborhood or business demographic, and educates people. We enforce the code to increase life safety.”  

Bixler 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 a volunteer and part-time firefighter with Cornelius Fire Rescue.