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Quentin Cash wins 2019 NC Fire Officer of the Year award
Cherryville's Quentin Cash, Shelby FD Battalion Chief and the 2019 winner of the NC Fire Officer of the Year Award.

Shelby Fire Department Battalion Chief Quentin Cash, son of Cherryville Fire Chief Jeff Cash and Cynthia Cash, is the 2019 winner of the state's Fire Officer of the Year Award.
Quentin, or "Q" as he is known among family and friends, oversees 16 people as the Shelby FD's "A" shift chief, and that crew is in charge of five-vehicle group, or apparatus, as he termed it. There are, Cash noted, 63 firefighters and personnel at the Shelby Department.
When he learned of the award "Q" said he was pleasantly surprised, but was quick to add that no award is the result of just any one person achieving such all on his or her own.
Said "Q", "The only reason people win awards is because of a host of others surrounding them who have made it possible."
It is common knowledge in Cherryville that the Cherryville Fire Department has a number of Cash's and Gunter's in its service, and has had for many years, noted Quentin.
His father, the current fire chief, Jeff Cash, has served for many years, and his sons, Chad and Quentin followed in his footsteps, as has his brother Chris and Chris' son.
Chief Cash said of his son's recent award, "Cynthia and I are very proud of Quentin. He has worked very hard over the years to become a great firefighter and fire officer! He stands in a long line of family members who have been dedicated to community service. He truly is a firefighter's firefighter!"
Currently Quentin's rank is that of Assistant Chief of Volunteers, and he holds the following certifications: NC Firefighter I & II, HazMat Technician, EMT Basic, NC Instructor II, NC Fire Officer III, NCAFC Executive Development Grad, Emergency Vehicle Driver, Aerial & Pumps Operator, Rapid Intervention Training, Swiftwater Tech, Rescue Tech, Fire Inspector I & II, Fire Life Safety Educator I & II, and multiple National Fire Academy certifications.
He has won a number of awards in his service as a fire fighter and is currently in the running, he said, for Fire Chief Officer designee from the Center for Public Safety Excellence, a nationally accredited organization.
Quentin, 35, is married to Erin Howle Cash, and said in an earlier Eagle article he was drawn originally to the fire services, "due to family ties with the Cash and Gunter families. It later evolved to the thrill. I am a thrill seeker and I love the excitement of rushing into a burning building."
He started with the Cherryville Fire department in 1998 as a Junior Firefighter, then when he turned 18, in 2001, he became what he called a "full-fledged firefighter."
"Q" and his brother Chad went to college at Appalachian State University, where "Q" received a BS in Political Science in Town/City and County Management.
In 2005 "Q" started at Shelby FD, got promoted to Driver/Engineer in 2007, made Captain in 2011, and now is the youngest of their three Battalion Chiefs.
He is the western director of the State Firefighters Association, following in his father's footsteps in taking on that task, adding he never felt any pressure to become the western director of the organization.
"Q" noted his nomination for the award came from his friend and fellow Assistant Chief Jason Wofford, of the Cherryville Fire Department.
"I appreciate Chief Wofford's nomination, and again I want to stress it's (the award) all about the great people of Cherryville Fire Department and Shelby Fire Department!"
At the end of the day, "Q" lives by his definition of customer service to Cherryville and Shelby's citizens, which is as follows, "Customer service to me is answering to the needs of any citizen. If you can't find someone to help you out, call us and we will come and figure out the problem. It's also about providing that service to our citizens with a smile."

by MICHAEL E. POWELL, michael@cfmedia.info


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