Chapel Hill Fire Chief Discusses His Decision to Retire

When asked about any plans he has for retirement, Chapel Hill Fire Department chief Matt Sullivan has no shortage of ideas.

“I want to learn how to bake bread, I think,” he says with a grin. “There’s a book in me that has been wanting to be written for a long time. I’ve had this crazy idea that I want to hike the Appalachian Trail. I just want to take a breath.”

That may not sound like taking a breath to most people, but for Sullivan, it’s just what he wants to do after 32 years with the town. He says he decided to retire in the coming year just because it felt like the right time. One factor was when he underwent a triple bypass surgery just over two years ago, which brought more perspective to his life.

“As you sit there and you wait to have a surgery you don’t know whether you’re going to [survive],” says Sullivan, “it makes you really think about life. In my focus and drive to do the best I could professionally, I think there’s a whole lot of stuff I’ve left behind that it’s time for me to catch up [on.]”

Since he did an internship with the Chapel Hill Police Department while attending UNC, Sullivan has worked in many roles for the town. He started out as a public safety officer, a job that regularly cycled him through police work, EMT work and firefighting. Planning to only be around for two years after graduation, Sullivan ended up staying with the police department before eventually switching to the fire department. He says there are many memories to reminisce over.

“Those were great days,” says Sullivan. “As I look back now and I think about all the things we did across my career, I’ve been incredibly blessed to have so many wonderful experiences.”

Chapel Hill has grown significantly since Sullivan started working for the town. The fire department has not added firefighters since 2008, he said, and he believes it won’t be long before the emergency services must grow once again. But while those challenges may be on the horizon, Sullivan is focused on making the most of his last few months on the job. He says he wants Chapel Hill to know how much he’s appreciated the community embracing him for all this time.

“The community and the town have been incredibly supportive to me, providing me with opportunities and support, particularly during these leadership years. There are a lot of individuals that took an interest to me as a young person, guided me, and gave me good, hard direction. It set me up in a position to do the work I’ve done. And I’m grateful.”

Sullivan’s retirement will be effective January 31, 2020. The Town of Chapel Hill says they plan to search for Sullivan’s replacement in the coming weeks.

The full conversation with Sullivan can be heard here.