North Charlotte Today

Woo Ham is a firefighter recruit with Charlotte Fire. By: Kevin Campbell

After finishing a career as a police officer, many people would be ready to retire or choose a slower-paced lifestyle. Woo Ham decided to outpace his previous career by becoming a firefighter.

Ham is a U.S. Air Force Master Sergeant and a retired NYPD officer.

“I joined the NYPD when I was 23. After graduating from rookie school, I was assigned to the 101st precinct in Queens. I worked in the housing development area for almost 10 years, then I saw an opportunity to teach at the police academy,” Ham said.

He spent the final years of his career at the NYPD teaching police tactics to incoming recruits.

“Once I was getting ready for retirement from the NYPD, I was still serving in the military and had to choose where I would continue serving with the Air National Guard,” he explained.

Ham is trained to work on a C-17 airframe. He had a few locations where he could serve in the Air National Guard: Charleston, SC; Tennessee; or Charlotte.

“I saw an opportunity in Charlotte and seized it. My wife and I fell in love with Charlotte right away. I love how modern and well-designed the city is,” he said.

With his children grown, Ham decided to pursue a decades-old challenge of becoming a firefighter.

“The boys in blue are always looking at the boys in red on the big red truck, and many of us wonder, 'Hey, could I do that job? How is it on the other side?' That thought never really left my mind,” Ham remarked.

Woo applied for the Charlotte Fire firefighter recruit program and was accepted. He’s currently part of Charlotte Fire Recruit Class 126.

“It has definitely been good, but it has also been challenging. I’ve gone through a police academy and multiple military trainings. I must admit that training as a fire recruit, both academically and physically, has been more challenging,” Ham said.

Becoming a Charlotte Fire recruit is a competitive process. Once a candidate is selected for hire and placed into a class, recruit school lasts approximately six months.

“I'm 43 years old, and I've been through all types of training. I’ve never felt the support that we receive here as recruits from the instructors and all the training staff. It has been more than what we could ask for,” Ham said.

With graduation just a couple of weeks away, Ham is eager to get on a big red truck and start serving Queen City.

"As much fun as I've had and as much as I love my fellow recruits, I am ready to move on. I am looking forward to graduation day. My family has been praying for me, and we’re almost at the end. We’re all super excited,” Ham said.

“Ham’s career progression makes sense,” said Charlotte Fire Chief Reginald T. Johnson. “Recruit Ham saved the best career for his final career. There’s nothing that compares to being a firefighter, and there’s no better organization to work for than the Charlotte Fire Department.”

Ham continues to serve in the Air National Guard assigned to the 156th Airlift Squadron.