Ryder Ingram: As the fifth-generation of first responders, senior Ryder Ingram will pursue firefighting

Senior Ryder Ingram’s most crucial final exam of his high school career is at the end of May. But he isn’t poring over textbooks or flashcards to study — he’s mentally preparing to run into and out of a burning building for a “live burn.”

Coming from four generations of first responders, Ingram was practically destined to thrive in emergency situations. He’s now one of seven students graduating from Blue Eagle, the district’s public safety training program at the CAA. After graduation, Ingram plans to move to Thurston, Colorado to stay with his chief firefighter uncle and become a firefighter himself.

“Everyone in the program has to complete the live burn before getting certified,” Ingram said. “I’m never nervous in our other scenarios, but I have a feeling this one might be the scariest.”

He loves going to “class” to participate in scenarios involving crawling through tight crates woven with wires, feeling his way out of pitch-black rooms thick with fog machines, revving chainsaws and slamming down drywall under the supervision of Blue Eagle instructor Ed Morrision.

“Ryder’s been more of the hands-on type since I’ve known him, which is fitting since firefighters should enjoy being active,” Morrison said. “I foresee him to be an asset to the fire department that he elects to work for.”

Ingram’s been set on fire fighting since age five when his uncle gave him a tour of his Colorado station. After seeing real firefighter gear and trucks for the first time, he was hooked. Since then, he’s been back to visit five times a year. 

“There’s a bunch of people that my [uncle] works with that I’ve already met who want me to come out to test for their departments or even get hired on immediately,” Ingram said.

Through Blue Eagle, he’s already learned how to load a hose onto a truck, tie ropes to hoist supplies, operate air packs, attach bunker gear and identify radioactive materials — oh, and fulfilled his five-year-old dream to drive a fire truck.

“During demonstrations with local fire chiefs, I’m always the driver while everyone else jumps onto the truck,” Ingram said. “It’s like driving a super long pickup truck. It feels normal to me because it’s what everyone in my family before me has done.”

Ingram feels lucky to be in SMSD because Blue Eagle is the top-ranked high school first responder prep program in the state. Morrison has noticed Ingram’s attention to detail improve through high school while he and his classmates grew into a family.

“We were originally going to do our live burn test in December,” Ingram said. “But since I have the latest birthday and was under 18 at the time, I would’ve had to do it alone in the spring. So [my classmates] agreed to wait to do it with me later.”