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Staff Sgt. Mason Conlin, a part time fire protection specialist assigned to the 148th Fighter Wing, Minnesota Air National Guard, and a full-time fire fighter with the Saint Paul Fire Department, and his partner, Jacob Ryks, were awarded the First Responders of the Year award by the Minnesota 100 Club at a ceremony on Nov. 7, 2024.
The Minnesota 100 Club, formed in 1972, is a nonprofit organization formed to provide financial assistance to family members of peace officers, firefighters, correctional officers, and EMS who live and serve in Minnesota and who are seriously injured or killed in the line of duty
In the early hours of Jan. 3, 2024, Conlin and his team responded to an urgent fire call in Saint Paul. When they arrived on the scene, they faced a home engulfed in flames with a mother and six children trapped inside. Without hesitation, Conlin and Ryks entered the burning building, repeatedly braving intense heat and smoke to search for survivors.
During their search, the team managed to rescue five children, providing them a chance to survive. Conlin and Ryks performed a relentless cycle of searching, rescuing a child, delivering them to EMS personnel, and re-entering the burning home to continue their search. Sadly, four of the children succumbed to their injuries.
“It was an honor to witness Conlin and Ryks’ bravery that night,” said fellow on scene St. Paul fire fighter, Joel Waters. “We all understood the gravity of the scene based on the dispatch notes and neighbors alerting us that small children were inside. Conlin and Ryks put their skills and determination to work that night.”
In addition to his role as a fire protection specialist, Conlin also serves as the president of the 148th Fighter Wing’s Bulldog Enlisted Council, an organization that supports the wing’s enlisted members.
“I could not be more proud to be a member here and serve in my hometown,” said Conlin, a 2020 graduate of Duluth East High School. “I’m very thankful for all the kind messages all of the firefighters and myself received in the following days and months of this call. It was a great reminder of all the amazing people that surround us and support us every day.”
The First Responder of the Year recognition was presented by St. Paul Mayor, Melvin Carter; St. Paul Fire Chief, Butch Inks; and Minnesota 100 Club Executive Directors, Julie Gotham. Family, friends, and fellow fire fighters also attended the ceremony. Conlin and Ryks were awarded the inaugural Mayor’s Medal of Honor at St. Paul’s State of the City address earlier this year.
| Date Taken: | 11.15.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 11.15.2024 09:32 |
| Story ID: | 485383 |
| Location: | ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA, US |
| Web Views: | 55 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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