Ryan Griffin thinks he may be just a little bit of an adrenaline junkie.
Griffin’s job as a driver engineer for the Johnson City Fire Department seems to lend itself to the idea.
“Fighting fire itself is definitely an adrenaline rush,” Griffin said. “I don’t wish a fire on anybody, but if there is a fire, I want to be there putting it out.” Griffin joined the JCFD around 10 years ago, but his plan wasn't always to be a firefighter.
Griffin’s father had been a firefighter in Illinois, where Griffin is originally from, but he first decided to take a different path.
“I grew up around it,” Griffin said. “I always thought it was really cool, but I went off to college and got a degree in sports and recreation management and worked in that field for several years.”
Griffin worked in his chosen field for a while before eventually deciding to become a firefighter.