Who: Berthoud firefighter Justin Rupert
Mr. February in the 2006 Colorado Firefighters Calendar grew up in Fort Collins and was raised to follow his father’s footsteps into the fire service. He was an Explorer Scout at 14, a Berthoud Fire Department intern at 18 and a full-fledged firefighter by 20. Rupert, now 24, is the youngest paid officer in the department, which provides fire and emergency services to territory that stretches from Carter Lake to Interstate 25. Though he usually wears a helmet and a heavy protective jacket, last summer he took off his shirt and posed for the calendar, which has sold about 5,000 copies and raised more than $40,000 for The Children’s Hospital Burn Center in Denver. – Dana Coffield
You don’t really look like that, do you? No. I worked out a lot more and cut about 10 extra pounds to prepare for the picture. You can’t walk around like that all the time. But I do work out every day. I’m the health-and-fitness coordinator at the fire station, and who listens to someone about their fitness who isn’t more fit than them?
What’s scarier? Posing for a photo or going out on a call? Work isn’t necessarily scary, but there are some situations that are somewhat concerning. Like when you go to calls out on the interstate on icy days, you really have to watch your back. A car can fly out of control. Things happen that you just don’t count on. At the photo shoot, I was standing on the ladder and unlike during work, I couldn’t hang on to anything. I just had to flex my abs and hold onto the ax. The scariest part of that was just hoping that I didn’t fall off.
Who picked that pose? They had a different idea for my picture. I was supposed to be near a hydrant. But when they came, they asked if I had any ideas. There was a terrible rain that day, but it cleared up a bit so we went to the school parking lot and set up our equipment as fast as we could. If the weather had started up again, I would have climbed back down and called it a day. But the weather parted just long enough to get it all done.
What do your parents think about this beefcake shot? My mom has a calendar at home and at work, but she cut out little shirts to put on all the firefighters so she wouldn’t get accused of sexual harassment at the office. My dad, who works at the Larimer County Sheriff’s Office, bought a bunch of calendars. Everyone is very supportive.
Firefighter seems like a dream job, especially since you’re on only 10 days a month. What do you in your spare time? I keep as busy as possible, but I’m a pretty boring guy, a homebody. I go to the gym and hang out with my family. I like to hike because I live so close to the mountains. Anything outdoors is always an option.
We have to ask. Are you married? Single, but dating.
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There may still be a few 2006 Colorado Firefighters Calendars kicking around at Virgin Megastore and the Tattered Cover in Denver, or available online at firedupfor kids.org for $13.94. Volunteers are gearing up for tryouts for the 2007 edition, which begin April 21. If you know a cute firefighter who is involved in his (or her) community and might be game to pose for a photo, have him or her grab an application from the Fired Up for Kids website, or watch for forms at the station house.
