10/24/2025
As we head into the holiday season, RFD Connections is taking a moment to pause, reflect, and celebrate the moments — big and small — that make our fire family what it is.
As the year winds down, may your days be filled with laughter, warmth, and a few extra helpings of your favorite traditions.
The holidays remind us that the true strength of our department isn’t just in the work we do, but in the people who make it feel like home — on shift, in the kitchen, and around every shared table.
From all of us at RFD Connections, here’s to celebrating the flavors, stories, and memories that keep our fire family connected. ❤️🔥
🔥 Firehouse Holiday Favorites
Share Your Recipes From the Firehouse Table
The City of Raleigh may be cooking up a community cookbook — but here at the Raleigh Fire Department, we’ve got our own flavor.
From station chili cook-offs to Grandma’s secret cookie recipe, we’re collecting holiday favorites from our firefighters, retirees, and families. Whether it’s a dish that’s fueled your crew through a long shift or a family favorite that’s made an appearance at every Christmas dinner, we want to share it!
This is your chance to show off the flavors and stories that make our fire family so unique.
Every firehouse has its stories — and more often than not, they start in the kitchen.
These recipes remind us that the heart of the Raleigh Fire Department isn’t just in the work we do, but in the moments shared between shifts, around the table, and with the families who support us.
Let’s celebrate the flavors that keep our fire family strong — one recipe, one story, and one shared meal at a time. 🔥❤️
🧑🍳 How to Submit
Send us your recipe (and a short story if you’d like!) using our Holiday Recipe Submission Form.
📸 Photos are encouraged — whether it’s of the dish itself, your firehouse spread, or a family cooking moment.
Submissions will be featured throughout December on RFD Connections, and if we get enough entries, we may even turn it into a friendly recipe contest with a small prize and bragging rights for the best Firehouse Favorite!
Deadline for submissions: Friday, November 21
🎄 Why Participate
This is about celebrating the heart behind the meal — the moments shared at the kitchen table, the laughter in the bay, and the pride in every dish that brings people together.
Whether you’re a seasoned station chef or a holiday-only cook, we can’t wait to see what’s cooking in your home or firehouse this season.
Inspired by the spirit of Raleigh’s community cookbook, this version celebrates the flavors that fuel our Raleigh Fire Department family.
🔥 Raleigh Fire Department Promotions & Retirements
The following retirements and promotions were announced by Assistant Fire Chief Lowell W. Smith, Jr. from the Operations Division on October 13, 2025.
Retirements – Effective August 1, 2025
Captain Greg Wheeler
Captain Grant Hall
Captain Chris Ferrell
Lieutenant Scott Morris
Retirements – Effective October 1, 2025
Captain Todd Saunders
Lieutenant Dillon Brown
Promotions – Effective October 18, 2025
Lieutenant: Ryan McLaurin
Promotions – Effective November 1, 2025
Captain:
Aaron Stevens
Charles Baker
Michael Fox
Shane Whittington
Christian Christopoulos
Lieutenant:
Roy Hicks
Jennifer Mastin
Darryl Johnson
Congratulations to all of our members on these well-earned milestones! Thank you to our retirees for your years of dedicated service to the Raleigh Fire Department and our community.
🏈 First Responder City League – Flag Football Tournament
The first annual First Responder City League Flag Football Tournament was held on Saturday, October 11, and it was an incredible day of competition, camaraderie, and community spirit! 🏈 Departments came together for a little friendly rivalry — and the energy on the field did not disappoint.
Tournament Highlights:
• Hosted the first annual FR City League Tournament
• Participating teams: RFD, WCSO, Grim Reapers, and Common Kings
• RFD claimed the 2025 First Responders Championship title
• Grim Reapers took home the 2025 City League Championship
• Grim Reapers had a dominant win over Common Kings to advance to the final
• RFD pulled off a close win over WCSO by just one touchdown to earn their spot in the championship
• Huge thanks to everyone who came out and to those who donated to the boot!
Our RFD team represented with pride at the recent Flag Football Tournament — teamwork, sportsmanship, and competition at its best!
📞 Interested in putting together a team or joining one?
Andre Somme – andre.somme@raleighnc.gov, 919-637-8704
Jeremiah Davis – jeremiah.davis@raleighnc.gov, 919-413-6444
🏀 Upcoming Event:
🔥 Fire vs. Police🚔 Basketball
📅 Mark your calendars for December 13!
🔥 Capital Area Firefighters Gala – Tickets On Sale Now!
Gala Tickets On Sale through March!
Join us on Saturday, April 18, 2026 at the Hilton Raleigh North Hills for the Capital Area Firefighters Gala — an evening of tradition, connection, and celebration.
📘 Yearbook Store Link to Stay Open
If you missed out and would like to purchase one, the online store remains open.
Orders placed with the store will now be shipped to the address you provide them.
🫂 Retiree Outreach Support Group – Let’s Keep the Connection Going
Next Meeting:
📅 Thursday, November 6 at 1:00 PM
📍 John Chavis Memorial Park Community Center
505 Martin Luther King Jr Blvd., Raleigh
💬 Topics from our first session included:
Life after retirement
Identity and transition
Separation and feelings of loss
Fear of failure
Coping strategies & peer support
We're continuing to grow our contact list for this group! Please update your information using this form:
👶Tiny Tot Arrival! 🍼
Congratulations go out to First Class Firefighter Brett Siebel and his wife Jenna on the birth of their daughter. Harper Louise Siebel was born on October 7th weighing 6 pounds, 4 ounces.
Everyone is doing great! Welcome to the world, Baby Siebel! 🎉
🕊 In Memoriam
In Memory of Derrick Hamrick: A gathering of friends and family on Sunday, November 2, 2025, at 11am, all who wish to pay their respects to Derrick Hamrick are welcome to meet at the Pleasant Gardens parking area, Unaka Mountain, Erwin, TN. The gathering will include the spreading of his ashes at a location that held special meaning to him as well as an opportunity to share stories and memories.
💡 Have something to share?
We’d love to hear from you! Send us your story ideas, event details, photos, or suggestions so we can feature them in a future issue of RFD Connections. This is your space to celebrate our people, events, moments—on and off the job, current and retired.
📧 Email us at rfdconnections@gmail.com or keri.warner@raleighnc.gov
