THANK YOU to all of our police officers, firefighters, healthcare workers, EMS workers, and other fearless first responders!
We are so grateful for all of your hard work, dedication, and willingness to risk life and limb for others.
Listen each Wednesday at 7:11 a.m. and 9:11 a.m. as the Q Morning Crew features and says thank you to a local Hometown Hero.
The featured Hometown Hero will win a gift card from Smithfield’s Chicken ‘N Bar-B-Q.
Want to nominate a Hometown Hero? Click Here.

Hometown Hero of the Week

Hometown Hero of the Week: Chief Matt Poole, June 11th, 2025
Our QDR Hometown Hero of the Week is Chief Matt Poole of the Garner Fire Department.
Chief Poole is a very well-known and respected leader in the fire service, state wide as well as along the entire east coast. In his 30-year tenure at Garner Fire Rescue he has excelled the department as a whole in so many ways. Under his leadership we have grown the organization to 5 Fire Stations, 6 Staffed companies, an Administrative Office, an Insurance Class 1 district saving the citizens money and becoming an accredited agency that is recognized nationally. Chief Poole has been an absolute pleasure to work for. He will be retiring at the end of February, and as much as we hate to see him leave the department, we are grateful that he has taken a new position that he will be able to continue to serve the Town of Garner and its citizens, as well as Garner Fire Rescue. I feel confident speaking on behalf of the entire department when I say, we wish you a Happy Retirement Chief, congratulations!
Thank you, Chief Poole, for your service! As a token of our appreciation, we’re sending you a $50 gift card to Smithfield’s Chicken ‘N Bar-B-Q to thank you for all you do.
Want to nominate a Hometown Hero?