A Lasting Impact: Charlotte Fire Captain Lifts the Next Generation
Published on July 15, 2025
Captain Anthony Perez directs his crew during operations at Engine 8. As a company officer, he leads with purpose and presence on every call.
Captain Anthony Perez remembers the fire trucks rumbling through his childhood neighborhood. He remembers the firefighters too, outside, waving to kids, always a presence. At the time, he didn’t know that he was watching his future drive by.
“It didn’t hit me back then,” Perez said. “But it was always there. I just hadn’t uncovered it yet.”
Captain Anthony Perez coaches a firefighter on hose control during a training evolution. For him, every moment is a teaching moment to build skill, confidence, and trust.
That moment of clarity came years later, while he was serving in the U.S. Coast Guard. Assigned to a small boat station, Perez ran water rescue calls and learned the rhythm of life on duty. It felt familiar, like the firehouse scenes he had witnessed as a kid. But the pivotal shift happened in 2001.
Before joining Charlotte Fire, Perez served in the U.S. Coast Guard. The experience helped shape his sense of duty and sparked his passion for emergency response.
“When 9/11 happened, that was it for me,” he said. “That was the moment I knew. That’s when I realized what I wanted to do.”
Perez had already tested the waters in fire service back in Florida, where he briefly worked for Maitland Fire Department. After relocating to Charlotte, his first application to Charlotte Fire didn’t pan out. But thanks to encouragement from a mentor and former boss back home, who reminded him he had nothing to lose by trying again, he reapplied in 2008.
That second shot changed his life.
Captain Perez stands with members of his crew outside Firehouse 8. He believes in building trust and teamwork through mentorship and shared experience.
“I got in. And from day one, I felt like this was exactly where I was meant to be.”
Seventeen years later, Perez is now a captain, a mentor, a teacher, and a steady hand for firefighters just starting out. Known for his humility and work ethic, he is also recognized for what he does when he is not running calls, representing Charlotte Fire on the department baseball team, serving on the Honor Guard, and helping to shape the culture through personal leadership and pride.
He laughs when asked if it is all about the adrenaline.
“Sure, I love the adrenaline. I love getting on the truck. That part of me is real,” he said. “But more than that, I love making someone’s day a little better. I love the impact this job allows us to have. That’s what keeps me here.”
Whether in Class-B or turnout gear, Captain Perez carries the pride of Charlotte Fire wherever he goes.
Perez doesn’t talk much about legacy. In fact, he insists that his goal isn’t to change the world. But his actions and the ripple effect they create say otherwise.
“I think we all leave a footprint,” he said. “It doesn’t have to be huge. But if I can influence the small group of people I’m around, that’s fulfilling to me. That’s why I keep showing up.”
He sees his role as captain not just as a leadership position, but as a responsibility to guide the future of the department. When a new firefighter joins his company, he focuses first on building trust, and that begins with training.
Perez prepares to communicate with dispatch from the front seat of Engine 8, a position he earned through years of training and leadership.
“You build camaraderie through training,” Perez said. “And once you have that trust, everything else, teamwork, accountability, growth, follows naturally.”
A new member is joining his crew this week, and Perez is already thinking about how to invest in them. He remembers what it felt like to be the new one, unsure of what to expect, and wants to create a culture where learning is supported and excellence is the standard.
“Everyone brings something to the table. But as captain, it’s my job to help them realize what that is and how to strengthen it,” he said. “The key is making sure they feel challenged, supported, and ready.”
Focused and ready, Captain Perez remains calm under pressure while overseeing operations at the scene of an emergency.
Before returning to the field, Perez served as a training captain at Charlotte Fire’s Training Academy, a role he held for two and a half years. There, he was responsible for equipping recruits with the skills and mindset they would need to step onto the street with confidence on their very first shift.
“It’s a hard place to be, the Academy. Time is tight. Resources can be stretched. But you’re shaping the next generation. That’s a huge honor.”
His impact on recruits is lasting. Even today, some still reach out to thank him or remember him as the one who helped them find their footing.
Perez also helps to shape culture through ceremony. As part of Charlotte Fire’s Honor Guard, he attends funerals and parades, representing the department in moments of solemnity and pride.
As part of Charlotte Fire’s Honor Guard, Captain Perez pays tribute to fallen firefighters and upholds the traditions of service and sacrifice.
“That’s for our internal community,” he said. “It’s our way of honoring those who came before us, and those who’ve gone on. It’s quiet work, but meaningful.”
The department’s baseball team, which he also takes part in, is less formal but no less important to Perez. To him, it’s about connection. About tapping into the parts of the job that build unity, laughter, and team spirit.
“That’s just the kid in me, honestly. I’ve always loved playing ball,” he said. “But there’s something special about doing it with your fire family.”
Charlotte Fire Chief Reginald Johnson says Perez is the kind of leader every department hopes for, steadfast, invested, and rooted in purpose.
Perez gives direction while mentoring newer members of the company. He sees each moment as an opportunity to develop the next generation of leaders.
“Captain Perez brings passion, professionalism, and purpose to everything he does,” said Johnson. “Whether he’s mentoring a new firefighter or honoring a fallen member of our department, he carries our values with grace and strength. He helps make this department better every day.”
Perez’s message to future firefighters is clear: don’t worry about having it all figured out. Instead, be willing to grow, to fail, to get uncomfortable, and to come back stronger.
“Anybody can be a firefighter,” he said. “You just have to have the want. You’ve got to want to serve. Everything else can be taught. But that spark, that desire to be part of something bigger than yourself, that’s what matters most.”
With nearly two decades of service, Captain Perez remains driven by a simple mission: to serve, lead, and make a lasting impact.
Looking back on nearly two decades with Charlotte Fire, Perez says it has been the ride of a lifetime.
“This department has given me so much, opportunities, relationships, a purpose,” he said. “And I remember my uncle always used to say, ‘If you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life.’ I don’t think I’ve worked a day yet.”
And with that, Captain Anthony Perez gets ready to go back on duty, ready to lead, ready to serve, and ready to help shape tomorrow’s heroes.
In quiet moments and fast-moving ones alike, Perez leads with a steady hand and unwavering commitment.
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