While some of us grew up dreaming about being a firefighter one day, for others that dream became a reality.

Once upon a time, I was one of those little boys who dreamed of being a firefighter when I grew up. Of course, there were also ambitions to be a policeman, an astronaut, and a cowboy. I remember watching firefighters John Gage and Roy Desoto on the TV show Emergency back in the 70s and thinking that's what I want to be. That dream never came to fruition.

Recently, the Grand Junction Fire Department graduated 10 men from Academy Recruit to Firefighter, and you can see from this video, the process is not an easy one.

Perhaps you have held the image in your mind that a firefighter is someone who rides on a big red truck and holds a water hose, spraying water on a fire. Well, firefighters do that for sure, but it's a whole lot more than that.

The recruits are subjected to several intense physical challenges from climbing the ladder on the fire truck, crawling, rappelling, and conducting rescues.

The work of a firefighter requires a great deal of strength and stamina and these former recruits demonstrate they have what it takes.

On top of having the physical ability, these men have to have the mental aptitude to be a first-responder and possess the necessary skills. It's quite impressive what these guys go through to fulfill their dream of being a Grand Junction firefighter.

These are men that will be instrumental in saving lives in the Grand Valley while being asked to put their own lives on the line every single day. I'm certainly happy to have these well-trained firefighters standing by emergency. I hope that after watching this video, we all will have a little more appreciation for what takes to be a Grand Junction Firefighter.

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