Born and raised in Tucson, AZ, Richie and his sister grew up around the fire service and public safety. His mother was an EMT and dispatcher, while his father was a firefighter/paramedic for the Tucson Fire Department (TFD) and retired as a Battalion Chief after 32 years of service. His family inspired him to pursue a career with the Tucson Fire Department. After high school, he attended the EMT program at Pima Community College and later completed the Pima Fire Academy. In 2005, he was accepted into the Tucson Fire Academy. He loved his job as a firefighter with TFD and kept that position for 10 years. He has since decided to go through medic school and promote. He’s been a firefighter/paramedic with Tucson Fire for two and a half years now. Richie has been married for ten years, and they have three kids and two dogs. His hobbies include spending as much time as he can with his family. They generally take a summer trip to Seattle, WA to visit family and escape the summer heat in Tucson. As a family they enjoy camping, fishing and hiking. Richie has also played guitar since high school and now has fun teaching his kids to play. His eight-year-old thinks his father is most triumphant at dad jokes.