Alex Griff's guest appearances

Alex Griff

OpsFitness Podcast

Chicago's Bravest Stories Podcast

Jason Patton

Chuck Sullivan

Chris Oswalt

Ryan Brady

Mike Vitale

Mike Manchester

Kevin Casey

Peter Lazzara

Severen Henderson

Mahlon Mitchell

Wayne Miller

Chuck Niemeier

Tracy Kenny

Brian Bardsley

Rich Pinskey

OwlTail

Vince talks to Alex Griff from Hazel Crest Il., Alex is a firefighter and fitness advocate. Alex is the coordinator for the MABAS 24 CPAT. Listen to Alex give tips on challenging the CPAT test. Alex talks about coming up in the fire service and tells a couple funny stories including cows falling from the highway.

Roll Call With Alex Griff Hazel Crest firefighter and CPAT Coordinator for MABAS 24

We talk with Alex Griff from MABAS 24 CPAT about training for the CPAT test.Alex is a firefighter and runs the MABAS 24 CPAT testing facility in Illinois.

Roll Call - Alex Griff (MABAS 24 CPAT)Alex and Vince talk about training for the CPAT

1. Tell me a little about yourself? How long have you been a firefighter for?I have been a firefighter for 14 years. I am in a fulltime career department just outside Chicago. We are staffed with 18 firefighter/paramedics, and we run approx. 3000 calls per year. I am 32 years of age, married for five years with no kids. I work two side jobs, one being a fire instructor for a local fire academy and I run a candidate fitness testing center. 2. What was the hardest time of your life? What tools did you use to get through it? I would say the FD testing process. I took many tests and was not successful for a while. I kept my confidence up and used grit and determination to finally land myself a fulltime job. Which is not always easy to come by. 3. What are your greatest successes? Getting a full-time fire department job for a department, I always wanted to work for. Becoming a fire service instructor and helping firefighters in the world of health and wellness. 4. Now that you have experienced life a little, what would you tell your 20-year-old self? Slow down every once and a while. Enjoy the little things and don't sweat the small stuff. 5. Who is your greatest role model and why? First, that comes to mind is Josh Bridges. his will and drive to be the best and better every day really inspires me. We have some of the same characteristics, so I relate well to him. 6. If you had a chance for a "do-over" in life, what would you do differently? Or would you keep everything the same? Start CrossFit at an earlier stage in my life. Other than that I have no regrets. 7. What do you feel most proud of? Some of my accomplishments in the fire service for being on the younger side. Running the cpat testing center, being a fire service instructor. The impact I have on the health and wellness of firefighters and people in general. 8. What do you want your tombstone to say? "He lived life to the fullest and never looked back" "be ready for anything" "baby we were born to run" 9. Why did you join the fire service? The thrills and the brotherhood. You get to experience. We get to do things no one else will ever get a chance to do. I love high-stress situations along with the adrenaline rush! 10. How do you spend your free time? Traveling with my wife, working out, cooking new foods, listening to music and collecting things from the 50s and 60s for my rock n roll diner. 11. Who do you admire the most in life and why? My wife, Laura. She is the best in the world, and we have so many things in common. She has worked extremely hard in her profession and with her education. She rose to a high-level position in a huge company. 12. What are you most afraid of? Not being able to perform at a high level. 13. What was your most embarrassing moment? I need to think about this one; there might be many... hahaha 14. If you could eliminate one weakness or limitation in your life what would it be and why? The pressure I put on myself and sometimes getting down on myself. Sometimes this can hold me back from progressing forward. 15. What was your greatest failure and how did you overcome it? Failing my paramedic test the first time I took it. I thought it would hold me back from getting the job I had always wanted. I hit the books got down to business and passed the test. Kept my head in the game and stayed confident. 16. What motivates you to succeed?I want to better every day both mentally and physically. I want to be the hardest worker in the room and I want to be able to handle anything life will throw at me.

1. Tell me a little about yourself? How long have you been a firefighter for? I have been a firefighter for 14 years. I am in a fulltime career department just outside Chicago. We are staffed with 18 firefighter/paramedics, and we run approx. 3000 calls per year. I am 32 years of age, married for five years with no kids. I work two side jobs, one being a fire instructor for a local fire academy and I run a candidate fitness testing center.   2. What was the hardest time of your life? What tools did you use to get through it?   I would say the FD testing process. I took many tests and was not successful for a while. I kept my confidence up and used grit and determination to finally land myself a fulltime job. Which is not always easy to come by.   3. What are your greatest successes?   Getting a full-time fire department job for a department, I always wanted to work for. Becoming a fire service instructor and helping firefighters in the world of health and wellness.   4. Now that you have experienced life a little, what would you tell your 20-year-old self?   Slow down every once and a while. Enjoy the little things and don't sweat the small stuff.   5. Who is your greatest role model and why?   First, that comes to mind is Josh Bridges. his will and drive to be the best and better every day really inspires me. We have some of the same characteristics, so I relate well to him.   6. If you had a chance for a "do-over" in life, what would you do differently? Or would you keep everything the same?   Start CrossFit at an earlier stage in my life. Other than that I have no regrets.   7. What do you feel most proud of?   Some of my accomplishments in the fire service for being on the younger side. Running the cpat testing center, being a fire service instructor. The impact I have on the health and wellness of firefighters and people in general.   8. What do you want your tombstone to say?   "He lived life to the fullest and never looked back" "be ready for anything" "baby we were born to run"   9. Why did you join the fire service?   The thrills and the brotherhood. You get to experience. We get to do things no one else will ever get a chance to do. I love high-stress situations along with the adrenaline rush!   10. How do you spend your free time?   Traveling with my wife, working out, cooking new foods, listening to music and collecting things from the 50s and 60s for my rock n roll diner.   11. Who do you admire the most in life and why?   My wife, Laura. She is the best in the world, and we have so many things in common. She has worked extremely hard in her profession and with her education. She rose to a high-level position in a huge company.   12. What are you most afraid of?   Not being able to perform at a high level.   13. What was your most embarrassing moment?   I need to think about this one; there might be many... hahaha   14. If you could eliminate one weakness or limitation in your life what would it be and why?   The pressure I put on myself and sometimes getting down on myself. Sometimes this can hold me back from progressing forward.   15. What was your greatest failure and how did you overcome it?   Failing my paramedic test the first time I took it. I thought it would hold me back from getting the job I had always wanted. I hit the books got down to business and passed the test. Kept my head in the game and stayed confident.   16. What motivates you to succeed? I want to better every day both mentally and physically. I want to be the hardest worker in the room and I want to be able to handle anything life will throw at me.

Episode 9 with Alex Griff (Owner of MABAS 24 CPAT and Firefighter out of Chicago)