Decades of Dedication Earn Top Honor for Charlotte Firefighter
Published on June 09, 2025
Engineer John Filliben stands with fellow firefighters from Firehouse 13 after receiving the Community Service Above Self Award from the Charlotte North Rotary Club.
Charlotte Fire Engineer John Filliben was honored this morning with the 2025 Community Service Above Self Award, presented by the Charlotte North Rotary Club. The award recognizes his tireless efforts mentoring the next generation of public servants. A 20-year veteran of Charlotte Fire, Filliben’s legacy extends far beyond emergency response. It lives on in the hundreds of young people he has inspired through youth programs grounded in teamwork, service, and leadership.
The Community Service Above Self Award was first presented by the Rotary Club in 1982. It honors firefighters and public servants who demonstrate an extraordinary commitment to improving the Charlotte-Mecklenburg community. The award is reserved for individuals who give from the heart, and for Filliben, that giving spirit began long before he ever wore a Charlotte Fire uniform.
"I knew I wanted to be a firefighter since I was a kid," Filliben said. “It’s in my blood. My grandfather served with Woodlawn, and my dad was the fire chief at Carolina Volunteer Fire Department. I grew up in the firehouse, learning what it means to help people.”
Engineer John Filliben in the bay of Firehouse 13, where he serves as a ladder driver for one of Charlotte Fire’s busiest companies and a mentor to aspiring firefighters.
That early exposure to public service sparked a passion that would guide his life. While still in high school at Providence, Filliben joined the Charlotte Fire Explorer Program, a hands-on training and mentorship initiative that introduces teenagers to the fire service. At the time, the program even counted as credit toward graduation.
“That was everything to me,” he said. “You got to work with real firefighters, real gear, real experience. And just as importantly, you had mentors who showed you how to stay on the right path.”
After graduating, Filliben began applying to Charlotte Fire. He officially joined the department on January 3, 2005, fulfilling a goal he had pursued for years.
Today, Filliben has come full circle. He now leads the very program that helped launch his career.
“John is the heart of our youth development efforts,” said Charlotte Fire Chief Reginald Johnson. “The Explorer Program thrives because of his leadership, his consistency, and the respect he earns from everyone he works with. The time he gives to our young people, on weekends, nights, and days off, is immeasurable.”
Engineer John Filliben is joined by Charlotte Fire Chief Reginald Johnson at Firehouse 13, celebrating Filliben’s recognition for exceptional community service and youth mentorship.
The Charlotte Fire Explorer Program remains one of the department’s most hands-on outreach efforts. Teens get the chance to work with real firefighting tools, learn basic emergency response skills, and build lifelong habits centered around responsibility and service.
“The goal isn’t just to make them firefighters,” Filliben said. “It’s to give them mentorship and show them that someone believes in them. If they join the fire service, that’s great. But even if they don’t, they’ll still walk away with the skills and values that will serve them in life.”
That mentorship extends to Camp Hornet’s Nest, a free summer program open to boys in grades 9 through 12. There, Filliben plays a vital role guiding teens through fire simulations, team-building challenges, and leadership development.
“The camp is about more than hoses and ladders,” Filliben said. “It’s about teamwork, discipline, and learning that you can’t succeed without helping others. Watching those kids grow over a few days reminds me why I do this.”
Fellow firefighters from Firehouse 13 gather with Engineer John Filliben to honor his dedication to Charlotte Fire and his leadership in youth programs like Camp Hornet’s Nest.
Filliben’s dedication is all the more impressive considering his full-time assignment at Firehouse 13, home of Ladder 13 and Charlotte’s heavy hazardous materials response unit. The workload is intense. The call volume is high. And the responsibility is enormous.
“This house doesn’t sleep much,” Filliben said. “We’re up multiple times a night whether it’s fire suppression, HAZMAT, or EMS calls. It’s a lot to balance.”
As the ladder engineer, Filliben is responsible for transporting his crew safely to every scene. The role carries enormous weight.
“There are three firefighters riding on the back of my truck every shift,” he said. “Their lives are in my hands when we’re out there. Whether it’s one call or four calls in the middle of the night, I have to be alert, ready, and responsible.”
Despite the demands, Filliben has found a way to prioritize both service and outreach. Chief Johnson says that balance is rare and deeply admirable.
Engineer John Filliben stands outside Firehouse 13, where he serves as part of a high-performing crew responding to a wide range of emergencies across Charlotte.
“John doesn’t just do his job. He builds others up,” Johnson said. “He’s earned this award because of the lives he changes off-duty just as much as the lives he protects on-duty. He’s the kind of firefighter every department hopes to have.”
That commitment to mentorship comes with real-world lessons. In today’s fast-paced, digital-first environment, Filliben knows that teens face different challenges than when he was in high school.
“Back then, we talked about drugs and staying out of trouble. That’s still important, but now it’s social media, what you post, how you behave online,” he said. “I talk to them about reputation, about representing themselves well. One mistake can change everything. They need to know someone cares enough to say that.”
The Explorer Program currently reaches dozens of students each year. Filliben hopes it continues to grow, with more recruits entering the fire service through programs just like the one that shaped him.
“I’m just paying it forward,” he said. “I had great mentors who told me to do the right thing, stay focused, and believe in myself. If I can be that for someone else, then it’s all worth it.”
Engineer John Filliben at Firehouse 13, where he serves as part of a high-performing crew responding to a wide range of emergencies across Charlotte.
When asked what keeps him going after 20 years, the answer is simple.
“This community raised me,” Filliben said. “The people here shaped me, and this department gave me my future. I feel like it’s my responsibility to give back.”
As Charlotte continues to grow, so does the need for public servants who reflect the community they serve. For young people searching for direction, or simply someone to believe in them, Engineer John Filliben is there, just as his mentors were there for him.
And as of this morning, thanks to the Charlotte North Rotary Club, his service has received the recognition it so clearly deserves.
“John’s story is one of full-circle service,” Chief Johnson said. “From Explorer to Engineer, from student to mentor. He’s not just part of Charlotte Fire. He represents the very best of what we stand for.”
Engineer John Filliben is pictured with Deputy Chiefs Bo Fitzgerald and Jerry Winkles, along with Fire Chief Reginald Johnson, during the recognition of his Community Service Above Self Award