Chris Sorensen built a career around helping others, first through emergency services and later through a business that brought his firefighting background to the restaurant industry. As a retired Jacksonville Fire Rescue Department engineer and EMT, and a co-founder of Firehouse Subs, he is being remembered for his contributions to public safety and the legacy he helped establish alongside his brother, Robin Sorensen.
His story connects years of emergency response work with an entrepreneurial venture that grew into a nationally recognised restaurant brand. He also helped extend that commitment to public service through an initiative supporting first responders.
From Firefighter to Firehouse Subs Co-Founder
Sorensen began his emergency services career with the Brevard County Fire Department, where he spent four years before moving to Jacksonville Fire Rescue Department (JFRD).
At JFRD, he trained at the Stockton Street station before being assigned to Station 1 on C Shift. He worked as an engineer on Engine 1 and later Ladder 1, serving in a role that supported the department’s emergency response operations.
His time with Jacksonville Fire Rescue ended in December 1998, following approximately ten years with the department.
Public service was also a family tradition. His father, retired JFRD Captain Robert “Captain Video” Sorensen, served the department for 43 years. His brother, Robin, also had experience as a firefighter at Jacksonville International Airport.
That shared connection to firefighting would later help shape the business the brothers built together.
Building a Restaurant Brand Around Firefighting
Chris and Robin Sorensen founded Firehouse Subs in 1994. Their experience in emergency services informed the identity of the restaurant, connecting the business to the values of teamwork, service, and community.
The company grew beyond its beginnings as a family-founded venture, becoming a widely recognised restaurant brand. Chris’s role in its creation formed a major part of his professional legacy, alongside his earlier work as a firefighter and EMT.
For the Sorensen brothers, the connection to first responders also became a way to support the wider public safety community beyond the work they had personally carried out in emergency services.
Supporting First Responders Through a Foundation
In 2005, Chris and Robin established the Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation to help provide resources for first responders and public safety organisations.
The supplied tribute states that the foundation has awarded more than $110 million in grants. Its work reflects the brothers’ continuing connection to emergency services and their interest in helping organisations protect the communities they serve.
The foundation became another part of the legacy associated with the Firehouse Subs name, extending the brothers’ public safety commitment beyond the restaurant business.
Family and the Sorensen Legacy
Chris is survived by his wife, Kirsten; his children; his grandchildren; and the wider Sorensen family.
His life brought together several generations connected to public service. His father’s long career with Jacksonville Fire Rescue, Chris’s own experience as an engineer and EMT, and Robin’s firefighting background all formed part of that family history.
Those remembering Chris are reflecting on both his years in emergency services and the business he helped establish. His work reached different communities, from the colleagues who served alongside him to those connected with the restaurant brand and its public safety initiatives.
Chris Sorensen Obituary and Cause of Death
Chris Sorensen is being remembered as a retired firefighter and EMT, a former Jacksonville Fire Rescue Department engineer, and a co-founder of Firehouse Subs.
Cause of death: The information provided does not specify a cause of death or describe the circumstances surrounding his reported passing. No conclusion about the cause should be drawn without a reliable statement from his family or an official announcement.
His legacy, as described in the supplied tribute, rests on his years of emergency service, his entrepreneurial partnership with Robin, and his involvement in establishing a foundation dedicated to supporting first responders.
Condolences go to his wife, Kirsten, his children and grandchildren, the wider Sorensen family, and those who worked alongside him throughout his career.
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