GODFREY - Wednesday was a difficult day in the Village of Godfrey as village firefighters, government officials and members of the community mourned the loss of valued Fire Capt. Jacob Ringering.

On March 5, 2019, two members of the Godfrey Fire Protection District, Captain Jake Ringering and Firefighter Luke Warner, were injured while they were engaged in a mutual aid residential fire call at 4604 Culp Lane in the Fosterburg Fire Protection District. The call occurred at approximately 4:30 PM Tuesday. Captain Ringering succumbed to his injuries and died at Alton Memorial Hospital after being transported there from the scene. 

Firefighter Warner was flown to a St. Louis area hospital and he is reported to be in stable condition with two broken legs and other non-life-threatening injuries, Erik Kambarian, the Godfrey Fire Protection District chief, said. “He recently underwent surgery and is recovering.”  Captain Ringering and Firefighter 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, Kambarian said. “Investigation continues regarding exactly what occurred and resulted in the collapse,” the chief said. 

Captain Ringering was 37 years old and has been a member of the Godfrey Fire Protection District since August 2010. He was promoted to the rank of Captain in May 2014. He began his fire service career in 2001 with the East Alton Fire Department as a paid-on-call and career firefighter before joining Godfrey. He leaves a wife and three young children. 

Firefighter Warner has been a member of the Godfrey Fire Protection District since September 2003. He is a Navy veteran and is married with three children. 
The incident is under investigation by the Office of the Illinois State Fire Marshal and the Madison County Coroner and Sheriff’s Department. The District expects that additional details will be available in the coming days. 

Line of Duty Death Service arrangements for Captain Ringering are pending with the assistance of the Associated Fire Fighters of Illinois and the Illinois Fire Chiefs Association, Kambarian said. Further details will be announced as decisions are made by Jake’s family. 

“Members of the Godfrey Department who were on-scene at the time of the incident are undergoing critical incident de-briefing and counseling is being made available to all members of the Department,” Kambarian said. “I want to recognize and thank all of those in the Fire Service on both sides of the river who have come to the aid of GFPD following Jake’s death, including the Madison County Fire Chiefs, the Illinois Fire Chiefs Association, the Associated Fire Fighters of Illinois and our neighboring departments who have provided standby assistance. When a tragic event of this type occurs, the Fire Service pulls together, and the past day has been an example of this. We are indebted to all of these fine people who give generously to their communities to save lives and property.

The District’s primary concern at this point is for the families of Captain Ringering and Firefighter Warner. As a Department, we will be doing what we can to assist them through this terrible event. 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. Our hope is that in the coming days the public will accord Jake and his family the dignity and respect they deserve at this time.”

Kambarian refrained from much detailed information about the incident that led to the death of one of his firefighters and injuries to the other. He said information about the incident is still being developed in connection with the ongoing investigation and that limited what information he could currently provide under the circumstances.

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