CHARLOTTE, North Carolina March 25, 2015 - Fire Service Plus is saluting Unionville (N.C.) Fire Department Capt. John Griffin as FireAde Racing's Hero of the Weekend at the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals this weekend. Griffin will be a guest of FireAde and NHRA Pro Stock driver Larry Morgan.
"We are happy to have John as our guest this weekend," Morgan said. "We're so thankful for his years of service as a firefighter, and we're thrilled to be able to recognize him and all the firefighters in the area who do so much to protect us all. That's what FireAde is all about. Maybe John can bring us some good luck this weekend at the Four-Wide."
Griffin is a long-time NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series fan who has attended races in Charlotte for many years.
"Drivers go out of their way to be nice and friendly, and that's why I keep coming back," Griffin said. "All sports don't have that. Signing something for kids or being nice when they ask questions, that means a lot to me, and I really do appreciate it. That's why I continue being a fan."
Griffin began his career with the Mint Hill Volunteer Fire Department in 1980 before moving to Unionville. He was an assistant fire chief with Unionville until 2006, when his father was diagnosed with cancer. To spend more time with his dad, Griffin asked to be reassigned as a captain, a position he has held since.
"I like helping people and I like the brotherhood that we have at the fire department," Griffin said. "Everywhere you go and you see a fellow firefighter, they're like a brother. If I go to the beach and see a firefighter, we'll come up and talk. If I was in Atlanta and stopped at a fire department, they'll treat you like you're one of them."
Griffin has been involved in rescue operations with the fire department, a particularly gratifying service.
"When you're able to get somebody out of a wrecked car and then you see them later and they're doing great, it's very rewarding to realize that you're a part of this person still being able to carry on their day-to-day life," Griffin said. "You're able to change a bad situation and turn it into a good situation for them."
Three years ago, Griffin became a seasonal firefighter with the North Carolina Forest Service, working on bulldozer and engine crews as a "hotshot" firefighter, an elite group that fights forest fires across nine counties in western North Carolina.
FireAde Racing will honor firefighters throughout the 2015 season through its Hero of the Weekend program. Firefighters and their families will get to spend time with Morgan and his FireAde Racing team as VIPs.
