GODFREY — Godfrey Fire Capt. Jacob “Jake” Ringering was remembered Wednesday as the “embodiment” of the Godfrey Fire Protection District.
Ringering, 37, was killed Tuesday after part of a brick wall collapsed on him and other firefighters during a mutual aid call to a house fire on Culp Lane.
During a press conference Wednesday at the Godfrey Fire Station 1, Godfrey Fire Chief Erik Kambarian described Ringering as “gold.”
“He embodied this department,” Kambarian said. “People joined this department because of Jake and people wanted to be like Jake.
“He’s left a trail, a legacy that will be remembered for a long time to come,” Kambarian added.
In addition to firefighters and the media, a number of elected officials and others attended.
“He could train anybody to do anything, and he was a natural leader,” Kambarian said. “People wanted to work with him, they wanted to pull duty with him because they could learn from him.”
The fire was first reported at about 4:30 p.m. Tuesday and multiple departments responded. The firefighters were injured about an hour after the initial call went out.
Kambarian said Ringering and Warner were “performing exterior fire suppression operations when a partial collapse of the residential structure occurred, and a portion of a brick wall struck both firefighters.”
“I won’t go into any more detail than that,” he said, adding he would allow the investigative process to take its course.
“The facts will come out and will be available,” he added.
Ringering was taken to Alton Memorial Hospital, where he later died.
A second Godfrey firefighter, Luke Warner, was airlifted to a St. Louis hospital, where he underwent surgery Wednesday and is in “stable” condition, according to Kambarian.
Two other firefighters received less serious injuries, and have been released. They have not been identified.
The fire is still under investigation by the Illinois State Fire Marshal’s Office, the Madison County Coroner’s Office and Madison County Sheriff’s Department. Sheriff John Lakin said they were assisting the other agencies, and it is not a criminal investigation.
Ringering joined the Godfrey Fire Protection District in August 2010, and was promoted to captain in May 2014. He started his career in 2001 with the East Alton Fire Department where his father, Larry Ringering, was chief before heading Madison County Emergency Services.
Jake Ringering is survived by his wife and three children.
Ringering was also president of the GFPD’s union, Local 1692.
“We had discussions at times, but they were always beneficial and fruitful and cordial,” Kambarian said.
Ringering was also an instructor at Lewis and Clark Community College.
Warner joined the department in 2003, and has also taught at LCCC.
He is a U.S. Navy veteran and has a wife and three children.
“I think he’ll have a long recovery,” Kambarian said of Warner. “I think he will recover and be healthy and get back to full duty.”
Kambarian thanked other fire departments for their assistance, and said the GFPD’s primary concern is now Ringering and Warner’s families.
“As a department we will be doing what we can to assist them through this terrible event,” he said. “While firefighting is a dangerous profession, losing a firefighter is never expected and when it occurs, the loss to all involved, the families, the department, the fire service and the community, is overwhelming.”
Kambarian said members of the GFPD who were at the fire are undergoing “critical incident debriefing” and counseling is being made to all members of the department.
Funeral services were pending.
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