Getting fired up at Fires

Fort Sill provides four fitness centers for those looking to get their daily lift in or to just get their bodies moving — all you need is an access or military identification card.

The four fitness centers, Goldner, Rinehart, Honeycutt, and Fires, can help build muscles, cardio and endurance. The largest of the four is Fires Fitness Center, located west of Sheridan Road.

A friendly staff greets everyone who walks through the door of Fires Fitness Center. They will scan your common access card or any military affiliated identification to allow you to use the facilities.

There are usually three or two staff members in the mornings and three to four during the afternoons to always compensate for people entering the facility, which manager Claudia Mejia said, “averages between five and seven thousand patrons per week.”

Issues can also be resolved by the staff. According to one of the guests, James Stowers, “the customer service here is excellent.” Issues can range from loss of personal belongings to medical help if necessary.

The overall friendly atmosphere in the gym is also another noticeable factor guests can expect. It’s a very laid back and comfortable environment for hardcore and novice gym goers alike. Many guests agree that the atmosphere is a major appeal of going to this particular gym as Stowers said, “the vibe here is way different from commercial gyms.” He has also stated that social interaction is great for those that like to hold a brief conversation with mutual friends.

Guests can also expect a relatively large gym. Fires Fitness has “twice the square footage compared to other fitness centers on post,” said Mejia.

There are two floors, and both contain cardio machines to burn off any extra calories. An indoor track is also available on the second floor if using the machines does not fit your personal needs. A functional fitness room perfect for those that do High Intensity Interval Training or CrossFit workouts also exists on the second floor.

If none of those sound interesting, the first floor also supplies a large collection of equipment suitable for weight training, including bench presses, cable machines, squat racks, dumbbells, and more.

“These can be beneficial for trainees as they have all the necessary equipment to aid in their preparation for upcoming physical tests,” said Mejia. She added, “If they are preparing for combat, I would definitely suggest they do activities that help them pass their ACFT and PT tests by doing more functional workouts.”

Recreationally, Fires provides a basketball court and racquetball court for those who love to compete against each other with the staff supplying basketballs and racquetball equipment if needed. Trainees can benefit from this if they get a break from training.

Guests are encouraged to bring their children for rock climbing and to be supervisors if they wish to use the facilities. A family room near the front entrance is also available for toddlers and babies.

Annual events are also held during Spring for those up to challenge themselves physically and mentally. Fires also supports outside events, as Mejia said “the staff is helping with other events such as at the Patriot Club with its Oktoberfest and annual runs.”

Cycling, dance, and aerobics are also held in the gym if those pique your interest.

The Fires Fitness Center is open from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. during the week and on the weekends from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.