First on Scene Charlotte Fire Recruit Aids Man in Medical Crisis
Published on July 02, 2025
Firefighter recruit David Edwards suited up at the Charlotte Fire Training Academy—just one day after he rendered emergency care to a man found unresponsive on his drive home.
Charlotte Fire recruit David Edwards had just finished another demanding day of firefighter training when he found himself thrust into a real-world emergency—one that tested every bit of what he had learned in the classroom.
On July 1, as he made the nearly hour-long drive back to Oakboro, North Carolina, from the Charlotte Fire Training Academy, Edwards noticed something unusual: a utility truck sitting motionless in the right lane near the 218 exit in Mint Hill. The vehicle wasn't pulled off to the side. It was squarely in traffic, but not moving.
It caught his attention. And then it set everything in motion.
Edwards outside the Charlotte Fire Academy, where his EMT training helped prepare him for a real-world emergency just a day after certification.
“I looked in the window as I passed, and the guy didn’t look right,” Edwards said. “He was leaned back, mouth open, and didn’t seem conscious. I knew something was wrong.”
Edwards, who had just passed the North Carolina Office of EMS state EMT certification exam days earlier, acted fast. He pulled ahead of the vehicle, told his fiancée on the phone that he had to call her back, and dialed 911.
He grabbed a small hatchet from his trunk, ran to the passenger side, and shattered the window. After unlocking the doors, he opened the driver’s side and reached inside to put the truck in park and engage the emergency brake. The man’s foot had been on the brake pedal—likely the only thing keeping the vehicle from rolling into oncoming traffic.
Then Edwards checked for signs of life.
Charlotte Fire recruit David Edwards pictured at the Charlotte Police and Fire Training Academy, where he began training on March 31.
“He didn’t have a pulse. He wasn’t breathing,” Edwards said. “So I got him out and started CPR.”
The training that had consumed the first eight weeks of Charlotte Fire Recruit Class 132 kicked in.
“I just started counting compressions,” Edwards said. “I didn’t even think about it—I just did what we’ve been taught to do.”
Edwards doesn’t know how long he performed CPR before other responders arrived, and he doesn’t know what happened to the man after he was transported. But that doesn’t change the urgency of the moment—or the impact of his actions.
Charlotte Fire Chief Reginald Johnson called Edwards’ response “a powerful example of what it means to serve.”
Smoke rises behind Edwards during a training scenario at the Charlotte Fire Academy—his serious focus a reflection of the mindset needed in both training and real-world emergencies
“David didn’t wait. He recognized the signs of a medical emergency and took immediate, skilled action,” Johnson said. “That’s the type of firefighter we want in Charlotte—someone with the courage to step forward and the training to make a difference. We’re incredibly proud of him.”
Edwards joined the Charlotte Fire Academy on March 31 and is currently in his 11th week of a rigorous, multi-month recruit school. Like all recruits, he began with EMT instruction—a fast-paced academic and hands-on program designed to teach life-saving care under pressure.
“It was definitely tough,” Edwards said. “You really have to push yourself to stay on top of the reading and skills. But when it clicks, it all comes together.”
Originally from Oakboro, Edwards graduated high school and joined the U.S. Marine Corps, where he served in an anti-tank infantry unit and completed multiple training deployments. He left the military in early 2021 and earned a technical welding degree from Central Piedmont Community College before deciding to pursue a career in the fire service.
The quiet confidence of a Marine veteran turned firefighter recruit—Edwards draws on both experiences in moments that call for action under pressure.
That decision was influenced in part by a retired Charlotte firefighter and fellow Marine named Ben McLaughlin, whom Edwards met while working at the Fork Farm in Norwood. McLaughlin, affectionately known among firefighters as “Way Back Ben,” left a lasting impression.
“He would always tell stories about Charlotte Fire—about the camaraderie and the heart behind the job,” Edwards said. “He made it sound like something worth being part of.”
After passing the state EMT exam on Friday, June 27, Edwards thought the weekend would bring a rare moment to catch his breath. Tuesday, July 1, turned out to be anything but routine.
“I almost never take that route home,” he said. “But I did that day because it was a couple minutes quicker. My nieces were in a pageant, and I wanted to make it in time.”
Instead, he found himself running toward a vehicle in the middle of the road with a man unresponsive inside.
“When I got to him, I saw early signs of cyanosis starting around his lips,” Edwards said. “That’s when I knew I had to move fast.”
Edwards at the academy, continuing to train alongside his recruit class just a day after he rendered emergency care to a man found unresponsive in traffic.
Edwards pulled the man from the truck and laid him on the ground near the passenger side, using a jacket to protect him from the hot asphalt. He immediately began CPR and continued until emergency crews took over care. He stayed on scene to provide a statement to law enforcement.
It was the first time Edwards had performed CPR on a real person.
“I remember wondering during class how I’d do if I ever had to use it,” he said. “You think about it, but it’s different when it’s real. And in that moment, everything just kicked in.”
The experience was powerful—but Edwards downplays the heroics.
“I just did what I was trained to do,” he said. “I don’t need any praise. I would hope someone would do the same if it were my dad or someone I loved.”
He did tell his family, though, and their response was immediate pride.
The gear that went from classroom training to real-world use—Edwards’ helmet and jacket carry his name, but the actions speak even louder.
“They were really proud. I tried to brush it off and tell them it wasn’t a big deal,” Edwards said. “But they said it was.”
What impressed his instructors and fire leadership most wasn’t just that Edwards acted—it’s that he acted effectively and without hesitation, just days after being certified.
“He wasn’t even halfway through recruit school, and he demonstrated exactly why EMT training comes first,” Chief Johnson said. “This is what we’re preparing our recruits for. Every call, every moment—it could happen at any time.”
Edwards said the repetition of training helped him stay focused in the moment.
“Sometimes in class, you wonder why we’re doing the same drills over and over,” he said. “But when it’s real, you understand. It becomes muscle memory.”
Back turned to the camera, Edwards wears the name of his new calling. Charlotte Fire—the department where his training became action.
He continued to perform CPR while responders arrived, giving them time to set up additional equipment and prepare the AED. By the time he reached around 200 compressions, another responder relieved him.
He doesn’t know the man’s condition today, but that doesn’t change how he feels about what happened.
“I did my best,” Edwards said. “I was in the right place at the right time, and I had the training. That’s what mattered.”
For Charlotte Fire, it’s a story that reflects the department’s core values: preparation, courage, and a commitment to others.
A look of determination as Charlotte Fire recruit David Edwards trains in live fire exercises. For him, the mission is personal—and already proven.
“David is a reminder that our training is working—that our recruits are learning not just skills, but the mindset it takes to serve,” Chief Johnson said. “We’re lucky to have him, and I know his best days with Charlotte Fire are still ahead of him.”
Edwards is back at the academy this week, quietly continuing the work alongside his fellow recruits. But what happened on that roadside lingers—not as a moment of glory, but as a clear reminder of why the training matters. He didn’t need a fire engine or a radio call to make a difference. He just needed to be prepared—and willing. And on that day, he was both.
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