Engineer Levi Niswander of Charlotte Fire Department's Ladder 1 became an emblem of dedication after holding his ground on the turntable of a ladder truck. During a May 18, 2023 inferno at a SouthPark apartment construction site, his outline against the fire captured attention—Niswander served hours ensuring safety while rescues unfolded within the engulfed structure, as reported by the City of Charlotte's official website.
While his actions under the blaze were lauded, the image that made rounds in the local fire department circles, it was only a glimpse into the required discipline and training firefights must possess; as Charlotte Fire Chief Reginald Johnson conveyed in a statement obtained by the City of Charlotte's website, "What people saw was courage in the face of chaos, what they didn't see was the discipline, training, and composure behind it. Levi represents the best of Charlotte Fire." Despite not originally eyeing a career in firefighting, a conversation in a Charlotte gym set Niswander on this path in 2009 and he officially joined Charlotte Fire in 2012 after persistently applying.
With his role far beyond simply steering Ladder 1, Niswander, as he put it in a statement to the City of Charlotte, is tasked with a thorough inspection of the fire truck before each shift because "you don’t know how the last person checked it, maybe it was a firefighter filling in, maybe something broke overnight. I’ve found nails in tires, a loose shock, a blinker not working, you have to check it every shift."
During fire incidents, engineers like Niswander are central to ground operations and he emphasized the importance of being in top physical shape, adding that "when it’s time to pull someone out of a fire, you need to be ready," in a comment to the City of Charlotte and while powerlifting might be a hobby for him, his competitive lifts impressively include a 1,000-pound squat, a 740-pound bench press, and a 777-pound deadlift. This firefighter's mentality is proactive, considering the needs of those inside the fires they combat, as well as ensuring the safety and preparedness of his crew as they respond to emergencies across Charlotte.
Despite the unfortunate loss of two lives in the SouthPark fire, the actions of Niswander and his team contributed to many rescues, his commitment underscores an ethos of service, undeterred by the desire for recognition—he acts from a deep sense of duty, to help and protect the community as seen in his own words shared by the City of Charlotte: "That was one of those times where I knew—this is why I'm doing this, trying to help people. That's what sticks with you."
