Roaring Fork Fire Rescue graduates four new firefighters in Basalt ceremony

Aspen —What does it actually take to go from a recruit to a full-time firefighter in the Roaring Fork Valley?

The answer, for four new members of the department, was 14-hour days, burn towers, and a lot of sweat.

Roaring Fork Fire Rescue welcomed its first formal recruiting class into full-time ranks on Thursday during a graduation ceremony at Station 41 in Basalt. Paramedics Travis Sugg and Ian Fradl, alongside emergency medical technicians Joshua Snyder and Nolan Sawtelle, stood before their peers and received their first shift assignments. They aren’t just learning the ropes anymore; they are holding them.

Fire Chief Scott Thompson stood at the podium, looking out at the group with what he called genuine excitement. “The first formal recruiting class,” Thompson said during his introduction, noting that while the department had tried this before, this time felt different. He pointed directly to Lt. Ryan Clark, crediting him for the effort. “I’m proud of what you’ve done,” Thompson told Clark, adding that these new hires would be able to go on shift and start working almost immediately.

The part everyone skips past is the grind that got them here. This wasn’t a casual onboarding. It was a four-week training program designed to prepare the recruits for the physical and mental demands of full-time station life. Lt. Clark led the charge, guiding Sugg, Fradl, Snyder, and Sawtelle through a series of exercises that tested their limits.

“These guys have been through the wringer for the last month and have done a great job,” Clark said. “I really worked them hard.”

Historically, the department held one- or two-week onboarding sessions focused on procedures, software, and medical call reporting. The actual training happened on the job, often while the new hires were already working shifts. This time, they separated the learning from the doing — at least initially. They spent one week on engine company operations, another on truck company operations, two days focused on rescue techniques, four days in wildlands training, and two days inside the burn tower.

Each workday stretched to 14 hours. The physical training was constant, and the goal was to cover every important aspect of the job within that single month.

“They worked hard and they did well,” Clark added, noting that the recruits excelled in the process. “I’m really proud of them.”

The result is a team that is ready to hit the ground running. The real shifts begin as soon as next week, meaning Sugg, Fradl, Snyder, and Sawtelle will be the ones answering calls on Basalt’s streets, handling emergencies, and keeping the community safe.

You can see them standing together in photos from the event — Snyder, Fradl, Sawtelle, and Sugg posing with Lt. Clark after the ceremony on July 30, 2026. They look tired but ready. The burn tower has been conquered. The engine and truck operations have been mastered. Now, it’s just about showing up, day after day, for the next 14 hours.