New Hires for Hickory Fire Department
The following persons have been hired as firefighters for the Hickory Fire Department.
Justin Paulsen
Justin Paulsen has been hired on as a firefighter with Hickory Fire Department. Paulsen started his volunteer firefighting career at Sawmills Fire Department in 2022. He is certified as a level 2 firefighter and in Hazardous Materials in both Awareness and Operations levels thorough the North Carolina Fire & Rescue Commission. He is also certified as an EMT (Emergency Medical Technician) through the North Carolina Office of the Emergency Services. Paulsen’s father, Chris, is also a firefighter for the City of Hickory. He has an older sister named Katelyn and mother, Danielle.
Greyson Wilson was hired on with Hickory Fire Department as a firefighter. Wilson began volunteering for North Catawba Fire Department in 2014. He is certified as a level 2 firefighter and in Hazardous Materials in both Awareness and Operations levels thorough the North Carolina Fire & Rescue Commission. He is also certified as an EMT (Emergency Medical Technician) through the North Carolina Office of the Emergency Services. Wilson is married to Lauren Wilson.
Sawyer Montgomery Lee has been hired on as a firefighter with Hickory Fire Department. Lee started his firefighting career in South Georgia in 2021. He is certified as a level 2 firefighter and in Hazardous Materials in both Awareness and Operations levels thorough the North Carolina Fire & Rescue Commission. He is also certified as an EMT (Emergency Medical Technician) through the North Carolina Office of the Emergency Services and has obtained a Bachelors of Exercise Science from Appalachian State University. Lee also has a diploma in Welding and Joining Technology and a certification in Diesel mechanics. He is married to Olivia Starnes Lee and they have 4 children named Jameson, Flint, Sherwood, and their youngest, Elowin.
Desiree Teague
Desiree Teague has been hired on as a firefighter with Hickory Fire Department. She began her career in South Carolina as a volunteer in 2013 and worked at Flint Hill Fire Department in Fort Mill, S.C. from 2019 to 2023. She is certified as a level 2 firefighter and in Hazardous Materials in both Awareness and Operations levels thorough the North Carolina Fire & Rescue Commission and is also certified as an EMT (Emergency Medical Technician) through the North Carolina Office of the Emergency Services. Teague is married to Christian. They have three children named Michael, Vivian, and Everleigh.
Cole Lott has been hired on as a firefighter with Hickory Fire Department. Lott has experience in firefighting since 2016 at Mountain View Volunteer Fire Department and is currently volunteering at North Catawba. He is certified as a level 2 firefighter and in Hazardous Materials in both Awareness and Operations levels thorough the North Carolina Fire & Rescue Commission. Lott is married to Andrea and they have a three-year-old daughter named Ava.
