Joey Roberts was born in Charleston, SC, and while attending North Charleston High School, he was offered a position in the Charleston Fire Department as an auxiliary firefighter in 1983. In July 1985, Roberts accepted and was hired as a paid firefighter. During has long career, he rose through the ranks and was promoted to assistant chief in 2016. He currently oversees the Technical Services Division that handles fleet, facilities and logistics. He has an associate’s degree in fire science and is a member of the South Carolina Firefighter Association Advisory Committee.