The local Boulder County Fire Department requested the Army ROTC Golden Buffalo Battalion from CU-Boulder to assist with helping train their new recruits using the Army Combat Fitness Test (ACFT) training.
Boulder County Regional Fire Training Center off the Diagonal Highway near the Boulder Reservoir. Photo courtesy of CDT William Vlad.
Four members of the Army ROTC Cadre and Cadets ventured out to the Boulder County Fire Training Center off the Diagonal Highway heading to Longmont, just north of town. They were asked to come out and put eight new firefighters through a standard AROTC physical training session and some team building exercises. The goal of this exercise was to get the recruits into the proper mindset for their upcoming 15 week-long Fire Academy testing.
Cadet William Vlad running the firefighter recruits through some PT training – planks. Photo courtesy of CPT Chris Head.
The new recruits were tested on their physical strength and endurance throughout the four-hour session of actual work-out maneuvers and classroom review. Recruits participated with both their general work out sweats as well as being dressed in their nearly 45 pounds of full firefighter gear. Which is similar to the Army ROTC minimum field ruck gear of 35 pounds (can go up to 65 pounds depending on the needs of carrying extra gear for terrain, weather or length out in the field).
CPT Chris Head reviewing good training and tactics with the new fire fighter recruits. Photo courtesy of CDT William Vlad.
Captain Chris Head and Sergeant First Class Jacob Thompson spent a good amount of time reviewing with the recruits on proper training and physical fitness tactics. Then the recruits headed outside again in their full firefighting gear to run through more drills.
By the end of the training session, the recruits were given a full picture of what they can expect during their academy training. And the Golden Buffalo Battalion was appreciative to have solidified a new partnership with the Boulder County Fire Department.
New fire fighter recruits are sitting in a squat while Army ROTC personnel look on (from left to right: CDT Bradley Pinkus, CPT Chris Head, and SFC Jacob Thompson). Photo courtesy of CDT William Vlad.