Dr. David Griffin is the assistant chief of administration in Charleston, S.C. He was the operator of the first-due engine on June 18, 2007, when nine of his fellow firefighters perished at the Sofa Super Store fire. Griffin has come through the ranks in Operations in every uniformed position from firefighter to assistant chief during his 18-year career in Charleston. He has a bachelor’s degree in education from The Citadel, a master’s degree in executive fire service leadership, and a doctorate of education in organizational leadership and development. Griffin is a certified Chief Fire Officer and Chief Training Officer with the Center for Public Safety Excellence and an IFSAC/Pro Board-certified Fire Officer IV. Additionally, he is a graduate of the Executive Fire Officer program from the National Fire Academy; Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Executive Education program: Senior Executives in State and Local Government; the Psychology of Leadership program at Cornell University’s Samuel Curtis Johnson College of Business; and Yale University’s School of Management Values Based Leadership program. Griffin is currently completing the Fire Service Executive Development Institute (FSEDI) through the IAFC. In 2013, Griffin began speaking on leadership, development, and mental health. He has spoken in 44 states, plus Canada and Mexico, to more than 200,000 attendees at fire departments, police departments, military installations, universities, conferences and other events. He is the author of “In Honor of The Charleston 9: A Study of Change Following Tragedy” and three other books. Griffin is the owner of On A Mission Inspirational Speaking and On A Mission Coffee.
