Cabarrus Today

During the 49th Annual North Carolina Fire & Life Safety Educators' Conference in Concord, firefighter Gilberto Meza-Corral was honored with the Kim Wittig Award of Excellence. This accolade is presented annually to a firefighter who exemplifies excellence in Fire and Life Safety Education within North Carolina.

Meza-Corral serves as a bilingual Fire Safety Educator and Assistant Fire Marshal, bringing years of firefighting experience to his role. He is recognized for his dedication to reaching underserved communities, particularly through initiatives like providing bed-shaking smoke alarms for hearing-impaired children and young adults in Concord.

His nomination for the award came from a fellow fire educator who cited Meza-Corral's knowledge, skill, passion, and commitment to service as reasons he was an ideal recipient of this prestigious honor.

Expressing gratitude for the recognition, Meza-Corral stated, “I am grateful and truly humbled to receive this award. It means a lot to me and it’s one of the highlights of my career so far.” He added that despite being "speechless from this unexpected recognition," he remains committed to using his expertise and community connections "to reduce risks and save lives."

Meza-Corral has been part of the City of Concord Fire Department for nine years. In 2024, he also received both regional and state Firefighter of the Year Awards from American Legion Post 51.