Born and raised in Ventnor, Chief Cahill comes from a long line of Ventnor firefighters. His older brother, Dan Cahill, who passed away in April 2017, served as Ventnor City’s Fire Chief for 19 years until retiring in 2005. Chief Cahill’s godfather also served as a Ventnor City Firefighter.

Chief Cahill began his career in 1994 when he was hired by the Ventnor City Fire Department. Ten years later, in July 2004, he was promoted to Fire Lieutenant. Chief Cahill continued his progression up through the ranks and in March 2008 was named Acting Captain. His next promotion was to Fire Captain in November of that same year. Almost seven years later, Chief Cahill was named Fire Deputy Chief in September 2015. In October 2017 he was promoted to Fire Chief.
  
Chief Cahill also serves as the lead fire instructor and course designer at the Atlantic County Fire Academy at the Canale Training Center where he has been on staff since 2002.
 
Chief Cahill also served as a member of New Jersey Task Force 1, a FEMA Urban Search and Rescue team for 10 years, retiring upon his promotion to chief. As a member of the task force, he made four emergency deployments as a member of Blue Team/ Rescue Squad 12 in the role of rescue technician and squad leader.
 
Chief Cahill was also deployed as a FEMA specialist to the Gulf coast of Mississippi and Alabama for 35 days following Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
 
Chief Cahill and his wife of 25 years, Judy Kobrinsky, have four children -- one girl and three boys.