By: Mike Vietti

For many people, it’s a struggle to determine what their calling is in life.

Tracy Johnson was no different. He grew up in Benton, La., a town of 2,000 people outside of Shreveport, and after sustaining an injury while serving in the Marines, Johnson found himself at a crossroads – unsure what he could/should do with the rest of his life.

Then, tragedy struck: his mother suffered a heart attack. Johnson swooped in to provide essential care. From tragedy a career was born. Johnson realized what he was meant to do: help people.

“While I was taking care of my mother, a friend back home was telling me about the fire department,” Johnson said. “I had never thought about EMS before. It had never even crossed my mind. With my mother being in the hospital and me wanting to take care of her… everything just came together. I realized I was meant to help people, to be there for people when they need it. From there, all the dots connected.”

Relying on his experience in the Marines as a foundation, Johnson joined the Shreveport Fire Department. A decorated career featuring numerous citations, awards and promotions followed.

Among many achievements, Johnson served on the medical detail as a paramedic for President George W. Bush when he visited Barksdale Air Force Base. He also participated as a member of his department’s honor guard, which resulted in a trip to Washington, D.C. where Johnson visited the White House and attended several events featuring President Barack Obama.

After 25 years of service, Johnson knew his time at the fire department had come to a close.

“As they say in the fire service, you know when it’s time to retire,” Johnson said. “My fire chief had told me that you need three things when you retire: something to look forward to, something to do and someone to love. I thought I had all three, but then I realized I wasn’t fulfilled.”

Johnson was once again at a crossroads. But unlike 25 years prior, he knew the core element needed for his next step: helping people.

Enter Krucial Rapid Response and, unfortunately, another tragedy. The Covid pandemic struck the world and Johnson had retired from the fire department. In the fall of 2021, the pandemic continued to surge.

“My uncle was a fellow marine and was against the Covid vaccine,” Johnson said. “Unfortunately, he caught Covid and about two and a half weeks later, he passed away. Before he did, I had the opportunity to talk to him on the phone and he said, ‘Nephew, I wish I would have gotten the vaccine. Whatever you do, you get that vaccine.’”

Johnson did. And, once again, conversations with friends changed his life. One told him he was far too young to retire and had more to give. Recently relocated to the Dallas-Ft. Worth area, another friend told him about Krucial.

“I looked at what Krucial was doing, read the mission statement and said, ‘Okay, I can do this,’” Johnson said.

From the fall of 2021 to the fall of 2022, Johnson worked throughout Texas helping to administer medications to people significantly affected by Covid.

“We were able to help so many people – it was amazing,” Johnson said. “We saw how people had diminished so much and had just crashed. Many had gone to hospitals and they couldn’t see their families. They didn’t have that support and that made things worse. That’s one of the things I appreciate about Krucial – we were able to help people medically and spiritually as well by being there for them.

“The recoveries for people were incredible,” Johnson said. “The medications were injections and, for some people, it might take 3-4 hours for them to start recovering. But, for others, you’d see improvements in 60 seconds. Just complete turnarounds for so many people. I’ve never seen anything like that.”

Relying on his training, Johnson rose through the Krucial ranks to supervisory positions. His teams traveled throughout the state and even administered medications to high profile people – members of Congress, NFL players, NBA players.

“That was such an amazing team,” Johnson said. “Whatever happened, we all understood that we’re part of a team. We just clicked and worked so well together. That was one of the best teams I’ve ever worked with.”

After his deployment, Johnson ventured to California and worked with an organization that focuses on emergency medical education. After two years, he moved back to Texas.

And fate, once again, stepped in.

In the fall of 2024, an emergency services organization in East Texas desperately needed EMTs and reached out to Krucial. One of the first phone calls Krucial made was to Johnson. He was back in the saddle.

“I enjoy it so much,” Johnson said. “I’m fortunate because I’m in a position where I work with many young EMTs and paramedics. We’ll face situations that they’ve only heard about, but have never actually seen before, so I’m able to lean on my experience and help them navigate through challenges. I’m so grateful for that opportunity. It’s special. Passing along knowledge is a gift that keeps on giving.

“But, I’m not just a teacher, I’m a student too,” Johnson said. “There are perspectives on things that I haven’t always considered, so I’m always learning too. I put those things in my tool bag. We’re all fulfilled as long as we’re helping people.”

For these experiences, Johnson credits Krucial for putting him in the position to not only succeed, but to grow as a person.

“Krucial has great opportunities – not just in East Texas, but across the United States,” Johnson said. “If you’re looking for an opportunity to express your skill set, Krucial is the way to go. You get to travel, see the country, enjoy great experiences.”

To be certain, Johnson is not the only person grateful that he found his calling 30 years ago. So are the thousands and thousands of people he’s served.

“I’m getting paid to do something I’d do for free – helping people. It doesn’t get any better than that.”

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