Illinois Fire Service Institute
Firefighter Record
Firefighter Details
| Name | Jacob Ringering |
| Agency | Godfrey Fire Protection District |
| Rank | Captain |
| Type of Firefighter | Career |
| Age Range | 36 to 40 |
| Sex | Male |
| Date of Birth | 0/0/0 |
| Date of Death | 3/5/2019 |
| Cause of Death | Struck by object |
| Nature of Death | Trauma |
| Attribute of Death | [not applicable] |
| Type of Duty | Firefighting operations |
Incident Details
| Incident Name | N/A |
| Incident City | Bethalto |
| Incident State | IL |
| Incident Date | 3/5/2019 |
| Incident Location | Residential |
| Incident Attribute | Basement fires , Structural collapses , Fires |
Incident Summary
On March 5, 2019, Captain Jacob “Jake” Ringering of the Godfrey Fire Protection District died in the line of duty while fighting a residential fire in Bethalto, Illinois.
The fire started in a single-story brick and wood frame building on Culp Lane in Bethalto and the Fosterburg Fire Department was the first dispatched. After mutual aid was requested, the Godfrey Fire Protection District was one of multiple departments who responded to the fire. Captain Ringering was working with other firefighters to locate hot spots and apply water on the fire in the walkout basement of the home through a standard door and a garage door when a structural collapse occurred. Ringering was struck by debris and suffered head and neck trauma. He was treated by firefighters and emergency medical responders at the scene and transported to Alton Memorial Hospital where he succumbed to his fatal injuries.
Funeral services for Ringering were held at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Alton on March 12, and he was interred at Valhalla Memorial Park in Godfrey.
Ringering joined the Godfrey Fire Protection District as a career firefighter in 2010 and was the technical rescue officer, respiratory protection officer, and a lead instructor for the department. He was survived by his widow and three children.
Citations:
“Firefighter Fatality Notice for Jacob “Jake” L. Ringering,” U.S. Fire Administration
“Godfrey fire captain with deep roots in Metro East dies in house fire,” www.stltoday.com, March 6, 2019.
Obituary for Captain Jake Ringering, www.gentfuneralhome.com