St. Paul fire chief's storied career honored with proclamation of 'Butch Inks Day'

The city of St. Paul honored the storied career of St. Paul Fire Chief Butch Inks on Wednesday, tracing back from his roots working with children in city parks to his current tenure leading the department.

St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter proclaimed Wednesday as Fire Chief Butch Inks Day in recognition of Inks' 35-year career. Carter, Deputy Mayor Jaime Tincher, Assistant Fire Chief Mike Gaede and other city workers gathered at the St. Paul Fire Department headquarters for the proclamation, recounting Inks' career and achievements.

"The ways in which the men and women of our St. Paul fire department just show up for us as heroes every single day reflects the character of our firefighters. It also reflects the strong leadership that we are fortunate in St. Paul to be able to take for granted," Carter said.

Inks first became a city employee in 1987 as a recreation leader in the city's Parks and Recreation department, where he was paid $4.75 an hour playing box hockey with children — kids who remained in St. Paul and are residents he still knows today. An announcement from 1994 commemorates when Inks graduated from the city's recruit training academy. He and just a handful of others from that recruiting class still work at the department. He climbed the ranks and was appointed fire chief in November 2019, overseeing the 495-member department, with 450 sworn firefighters.

In addition to helming the department, Inks has been an innovator, creating an alternative response team to assist vulnerable St. Paul residents, championing an inclusive workforce and piloting studies for firefighter health and wellness. Inks took over the department just before the COVID-19 pandemic hit and also was in the lead during the civil unrest that followed George Floyd's killing by Minneapolis police. Inks also spearheaded staging crews in the downtown skyway system and library for quicker responses and to serve as a public safety presence. Inks is also a military veteran, having served in the Air Force for 26 years before his retirement in 2012.

"From starting out in Parks and Rec to all the work that you're doing right now to help us in our libraries, [your career] exemplifies that understanding of what we talk about as being a citywide enterprise that's greater than the sum of its parts." Carter said. "I appreciate your leadership."

The lobby of the St. Paul Fire Department fell silent as Carter read his proclamation for "Fire Chief Butch Inks Day." After receiving the proclamation and a pin from Mayor Carter, Inks was greeted by applause from his wife, recruits and other leaders in the city. He thanked everyone who attended the ceremony, adding that he feels fortunate to work in public service.

"For someone who is not comfortable with recognition, this is — really, it's overwhelming for me," Inks said. "When I look at new recruits, and people who have been around a while, you just never know how much you influence somebody when you cross their path in this profession of serving the public."