Firefighters Jacob Ryks and Mason Conlin shook hands for the first time the morning of Jan. 3, before entering a home on what would be one of the most intense and emotional experiences of their careers.

That morning fire crews found the home of Pa Cheng Vang and Ker Lor engulfed in flames and heavy smoke after receiving a wordless phone call from the residents. Firefighters and paramedics worked urgently to save as many people as possible and, although four children ultimately did not survive, two of them did.

Having met just that morning, the two firefighters now call each other close friends. Their actions and the grief of lives lost has bonded them together.

“Personally, as a mom, I just can’t thank you enough for your service,” Julie Gotham, executive director of Minnesota 100 Club, said to Ryks and Conlin during the ceremony.

Ryks and Conlin were recognized at the St. Paul Fire Department’s Station 4, 505 Payne Ave., on Thursday for having demonstrated “extraordinary bravery and selflessness” on that day.

The MN 100 Club, an organization that provides aid to family members of first responders killed in the line of duty, presented the award along with Mayor Melvin Carter, city council members, community members, family and crews.

“This isn’t my award, it’s an award for everyone that was there that day,” Ryks said.

Well trained and working together

The two entered the burning home multiple times, facing intense heat and zero visibility. Each time they emerged, they carried out an unconscious child, delivering them to emergency medical providers before returning to the scene. They found a total of five children in the home.

“They went back again and again, and that to me is truly above and beyond,” St. Paul Fire Chief Butch Inks said during the ceremony.

Mayor Carter said that he met Vang, the father of the children, in January and was introduced to his family members in the hospital.

“Even in that moment he was very clear on how much he appreciated the work of the firefighters,” Carter said during the ceremony.

St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter, left, thanks St. Paul firefighters Jacob Ryks, center, and Mason Conlin during a ceremony at St. Paul Fire Station No. 4 on Payne Ave. in St. Paul on Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024. Conlin and Ryks were named Minnesota Firefighters of the Year by the Minnesota 100 Club, for their efforts in retrieving five children from a house fire on St. Paul’s East Side in early January. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)

Ryks, who’s been on the job in St. Paul for five and a half years, and Conlin, who’s been with the department since 2023, both said that though the fire was tragic, their training and skills prepared them well to approach the situation. Ryks said he’s worked in many departments but nothing has compared to St. Paul Fire.

“That’s the beauty of the St. Paul Fire Department,” Ryks said to reporters after the ceremony. “The skill levels here are unmatched.”

The two said they weren’t alone in helping save lives that day. An entire crew of people worked together with urgency and intentionality. Ryks recalled watching as paramedics gave CPR to multiple children in one setting and described the scene as extraordinary.

“We were heavily invested in the family’s journey,” Ryks said. “It wasn’t over that day.”

Ryks and Conlin last saw Vang and surviving children in April when they brought gifts for their family.

“The strength of that dad is like something I’ve never experienced in my life,” Ryks said.

Given the horrors Vang experienced in losing his children, Ryks said he carried himself with grace and wanted to use his experience to raise awareness for others and create a positive impact.

“He’s obviously grieving a tragedy, but he didn’t let that overshadow that he still has two children in his life,” Conlin said.

Why they do the work

As a father of two himself, Ryks said the experience of carrying children out of the home, hoping for their survival, was personal to him. He’s glad to do the work, he said, because he knows that other people love their families as much as he loves his.

“That’s why I’m willing to do anything, because I know that I’m the last person for that person to have a second chance,” Ryks said.

After responding to the call, Ryks said he FaceTimed his wife and immediately wept upon seeing his son. Conlin said that the crew relied on one another for comfort and support. At the time it was important for them to be together because carrying the pain home alone was the worst thing one could do, he said.

“We grieve together and because of that we are strong,” Ryks said.

Leaning on one another

St. Paul firefighter Jacob Ryks speaks to guests as he and fellow firefighter Mason Conlin are given Minnesota Firefighters of the Year awards during a a ceremony at St. Paul Fire Station No. 4 on Payne Ave. in St. Paul on Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024. Conlin and Ryks were named Minnesota Firefighters of the Year by the Minnesota 100 Club, for their efforts in retrieving five children from a house fire on St. Paul’s East Side in early January. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)

Deputy Chief Smith said that mental health is something the department takes seriously. Immediately after an emotional event the crew is taken off duty, able to go home and be with their loved ones. He said the department offers free counseling and has a peer support team of trained firefighters who answer calls 24/7 about experiences like this.

“Our heart definitely breaks for that family,” Smith said.

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Firefighters don’t do the job for recognition, Smith said. He said it’s often a thankless job and most shy away from the spotlight. Despite this, Smith said, it’s important to highlight acts of service when the opportunity arises.

“Although we’re recognizing two firefighters today, it’s really a gesture to all, not only our firefighters but all who answer that call of duty,” Smith said.

Ryks’ father, Daniel Ryks, said that when his son was in kindergarten, he had a fireman’s shirt (which his mother, Kathi, clarified was actually a St. Paul Fire Department shirt) and always knew he wanted to be a fireman. According to dad, when Ryks was little, he said everyone loves a fireman because it’s the closest thing on earth to being a superhero.

“As a parent, to have a son like him with not just the bravery, but the character and humbleness, I couldn’t be more proud of the child we raised,” mom said.