Survivor Premieres Wednesday With Hoboken Firefighter Competing

HOBOKEN, NJ —Retired Hoboken Fire Battalion Chief Mike Turner will be among the competitors when the two-hour season premiere of "Survivor" airs this Wednesday at 8 p.m. on CBS.

Turner, a lifelong Hoboken resident, has followed the rules and stayed mum about what happens this season. But he did speak out recently about why his Hoboken upbringing and experience prepared him for the job. READ MORE: Hoboken Firefighter To Compete On Survivor

"Everybody says they'd run into a burning building and pull a person out," he said in an introductory video last month. "But you never know what you're going to do until you're in that moment. So hopefully I'm prepared to adapt."

He's the oldest of this year's cast by 10 years, but that hasn't daunted him.

He's not the only New Jerseyan in the cast. Lindsay Dolashewich, 31, a dietitian, is from Asbury Park. There are also two New Yorkers.

Turner has said his biggest challenge will be keeping his voice down. "I talk loud," he said. "It's called the 'Hoboken whisper."

The new season will have some differences from past seasons. Of the 18 competitors, five are members of the LGBTQ+ community, more than any other season.

Watch the season premiere on CBS and leave comments below.

Did you know? You can get a free daily newsletter each morning at 6 a.m. with local news in Hoboken or your Jersey town, or breaking news: Sign up with your zip code here and you'll get an email asking for your preferences.

Get a free morning newsletter with news in any New Jersey town: https://patch.com/subscribe