Peter Matthews talks with Jake Ryks, a St. Paul, MN, firefighter who was just named Minnesota’s Firefighter of the Year, along with Mason Conlin, for their efforts to rescue seven people from an early morning house fire. Ryks credits ongoing training and the desire to know your job with the herculean rescue and medical treatment efforts by firefighters at the Jan. 3, 2024 house fire. 

Ryks, who was working in another company that shift, takes you step-by-step through the response, arrival and rescue efforts by St. Paul firefighters and explains why continued training played a pivotal role in decision-making that morning.  

He also talks about becoming a trainer on hazardous materials, his work with The Haz Mat Guys and his new podcast launch, Hazard Class, in which he talks with firefighters on a variety of topics. 

Resources 

The Haz Mat Guys Hazard Class Podcast 

All Things Hazard Class  

‘Can’t thank you enough’: St. Paul firefighters who saved kids from house fire receive awards  

‘Humbling beyond words’: St. Paul firefighters open up about fire  

This Month in Fire History – December