BY KEVIN IMM

After providing more than 36 years of service to the communities of Salisbury, Statesville and Troutman, Jeff Leaptrott has decided to hang up his turnout gear for good.

Leaptrott was hired by the Statesville Fire Department in May of 1990 after serving with the Salisbury Fire Department. He was promoted to the rank of captain in 1995 and the rank of battalion chief in April of 2008, before retiring from the SFD in July of 2016.

He started working part time for the Troutman Fire Department in 2005 and was hired as a full-time engineer in August of 2016. He was promoted to captain in 2024.

Leaptrott’s final day in the fire service is January 29. A highly respected firefighter and public servant, he will be missed, especially by the younger firefighters he mentored over the years.