CityView Magazine

The hour-long episode that you enjoy in your living room actually took four days to film and every competition had its own day. shooting, driving, physical fitness, especially in the SWAT part of it. We do tactical operations and deal with people on a daily basis in an urban environment and are pretty well-rounded," Ruff said. Behind the scenes of reality television, things are not al- ways as they seem, Ruff allowed. The hour-long episode that you enjoy in your living room actually took four days to film and every competition had its own day. Ruff said everything they put together was elaborate. "I have a new-found respect for the crew, the cameramen, the sound guys — they work hard and never leave the set. It was long 10-hour days," Ruff said. The competitors were allowed to talk to one another throughout the course of the week but they did not stay in the same hotel. Ruff understood early on that their contact was limited in order to keep it real for them as well as television viewers. Ruff said he did not find out what the other competi- tors did for a living until they first introduced themselves on film. Sizing Up the Competition "Right off the bat, I felt like I'd be the first guy to leave, the Navy SEAL was the strongest guy," said Ruff. "All the guys were humble guys and were not arrogant, they were all really good guys." While Ruff said he suspected that he was the oldest guy there, he also knew he was physically ready for the event and his broad range of experiences proved to be a benefit as he was able to do a little bit of everything. "As far as the first challenge (the laser challenge), I figured the smallest guy would have smoked everybody. I did not ex- pect to do bad, but I did not expect to be the best at that par- ticular challenge," said Ruff. "Being limber, small and young would be a great benefit, but that's not always the case. Taking your time, moving with a sense of purpose and not rushing, 34 | November/December • 2011 having a calm head is what wins at the end." During the last prisoner challenge Ruff remained confi- dent. "I never figured I had it in the bag until I had the key in my hand because you never know. I am a confident person in my abilities, but arrogance usually shows in the end and it's just bad. That's where my maturity level comes into play." Ruff said that luck also helped in the types of events they undertook. "There could have been some other events that could have changed the tide," said Ruff. "We could have went swimming. While I'm a good swimmer, do you think the Navy SEAL would have lost? I doubt that, I think he would have come out on top in any water event." Ruff ended up watching the episode during a surprise view- ing party at his in-laws house. Unbeknownst to him, his wife and some friends from the police department invited his team of ERT peers and his assistant chief, all of whom came. Ruff said it was a lot of fun, as everyone yelled at the television as they watched the episode unfold. Up until the episode aired in late August, Ruff was not al- lowed to talk about the competition or the outcome to his family, neighbors or co-workers, as he had signed a contract that forbid him from discussing it. He was still anxious to see the finished product to see how it was edited and put together. Ruff said it was hard at first but that it became easy to keep it a surprise. "Who would want to watch something when they know the final results?" he said. Ruff still takes some ribbing for having the title "One Man Army" and feels it is a bit embarrassing. He is proud that he participated and happy he won and had the opportunity to represent ERT, law enforcement and his agency, but he is not out seeking attention. "It was about going through my entire experience and try- ing to test what I've learned and retained in my career against what others do," Ruff said. "It was just a personal test." CV

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