It all started when he went to a fire station to visit his friend's dad.
"The guys looked so friendly and I really enjoyed the camaraderie there and became a volunteer firefighter while I was a junior in high school and just fell in love with a job," Alcoa Fire Chief Roger Robinson told WBIR.
He landed a position in 1979. He rose through the ranks becoming chief in 2007.
Robinson started the new year with a new title -- retired.
He said the most memorable day was in April 2018, when six people died in an early morning house fire on North Wright Road.
"Our men worked so hard and seeing the police officers, everyone all doing CPR, doing everything we could to save these people. It made me so proud. But, the devastating loss of life, just broke my heart."
He's not the only person in his family who's been a first responder in Blount County. His son, Nathaniel Robinson, was a police officer in Maryville.
Robinson died in December, a few months after being diagnosed with cancer. He was 33 years old.
In retirement, he'll work to bring cancer awareness to responders.
