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Cloudy skies. High 34F. Winds light and variable..
Cloudy skies. Low 24F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph.
Updated: October 21, 2025 @ 5:41 am
Courtesy Eric Engman/UAF
Members of the University Fire Department take advantage of the old Honors House on the UAF campus to use it for training Sept. 29.
Courtesy Eric Engman/UAF
Members of the University Fire Department take advantage of the old Honors House on the UAF campus to use it for training on Sept. 29 before it gets demolished.
Members of the University Fire Department underwent training at the old Honors House on the UAF campus on Monday, Sept. 29, 2025, just before the building was demolished.
Executive Chef Jeffery Brooks and owner Jay Ramras.
Courtesy Eric Engman/UAF
Members of the University Fire Department take advantage of the old Honors House on the UAF campus to use it for training Sept. 29.
Courtesy Eric Engman/UAF
Members of the University Fire Department take advantage of the old Honors House on the UAF campus to use it for training on Sept. 29 before it gets demolished.
Members of the University Fire Department underwent training at the old Honors House on the UAF campus on Monday, Sept. 29, 2025, just before the building was demolished.
Executive Chef Jeffery Brooks and owner Jay Ramras.
When routine cookie baking at Pikes Landing Restaurant kitchen turned into an unexpected, out of control fire on March 28, the executive chef used five fire extinguishers trying to put out the inferno as other employees screamed for him to leave the building. Despite his heroic efforts, flames shot through the ceiling and into the roof.
University Fire Department firefighters arrived within minutes. They cut a 5-foot hole in the roof and stopped the blaze from spreading further.
When firefighters took off their helmets, the chef and others looked with surprise at all the young faces and asked, “How old are you?”
They are, of course, all students at the University of Alaska Fairbanks.
“They’re all 18, 19, 20 years old,” said Jay Ramras, owner of Pikes Landing.
Ramras asked University Fire Chief Forrest Kuiper what Pikes could do to thank firefighters and the chief responded, “This is what we do.” He didn’t expect anything in return.
At first, he lightheartedly suggested baking fresh cookies for firefighters, perhaps not realizing that is how the fire got started in the first place. No, Ramras said, that’s not good enough.
“We could have suffered a total loss,” Ramras said, looking back on that day.
He was so grateful these young firefighters saved the restaurant building, which recently reopened, that he decided to thank them in a very special way.
He established the Books & Boots Scholarship Fund with an initial donation of $35,000 and will honor those student firefighters at a special dinner from 6-8 p.m. Thursday at the Binkley Room of Pike’s Waterfront Lodge. The new scholarship fund will distribute ten $500 scholarships and community members are invited to help honor these young firefighters.
The fund will provide financial assistance to students enrolled in the University of Alaska Fire Sciences program and help them purchase their required textbooks and boots.
The dinner will feature one firefighter at each table, seated with appreciative community members.
Holland America Princess is a major donor for this first round of scholarships, so the funds raised so far by Pikes and other donors, can add up to a principal that may soon reach endowment level through the Alaska Community Foundation.
“We are going to raise close to $100,000 this year and keep doing it for a few more years,” Ramras said.
“The generosity is incredible,” said University Fire Chief Forrest Kuiper, who noted that the response has been overwhelming.
“It’s incredible and it’s going to have such meaningful impact for our students. I couldn’t be more appreciative,” he said. “This will have a long-lasting impact. Hopefully endowing the scholarship in the future means our students will have that scholarship opportunity forever.”
These student firefighters provide an important, often heroic, service, Ramras said, noting, “They’re all broke. They work for minimum wage.”
They need more recognition, he said.
“They responded to 2,345 incidents last year,” Ramras said. “They cover 22 square miles, all of Van Horn Road and half of Farmer’s Loop Road.”
Student firefighters at the University of Alaska Fire Department are all between 18 and 22 years old and come from both Alaska and Outside. Women make up 33% of the force and men represent 67% of the 42 firefighters. They serve as firefighters, engine operators, ambulance drivers and EMT’s, led by 14 career officers.
Most of the student firefighters are enrolled in the University’s Fire Science program and they work shifts of 48 hours on duty and 96 hours off duty. To serve as a University Fire Department firefighter, students must carry 12 credits and be enrolled as a full-time students.
Tammy Randolph shared the new Books & Boots Scholarship Fund at last week’s Chamber of Commerce luncheon and asked individuals and businesses to help by sponsoring seats and tables.
“One hundred percent of the proceeds will flow through the Alaska Community Foundation, making it tax-deductible, to the UAF Books & Boots Scholarship Fund,” according to a news release.
The cost of the meal and event will be covered entirely by Pike’s Waterfront Lodge.
“Other than applause at sporting events, it’s hard to find a way to say thank you to our first responders and to honor their noble daily purpose,” said Ramras in a press release. “Please join us in expressing your gratitude by helping to endow this scholarship. Help us make it easier for trained firefighter boots to come through our home and business doors to hep save us — when inevitably, we all have to make the 911 call.”
“Every step starts with the right boots — and the right books.”
For more information, contact Julie Duquette at julie@akconstruction.us or call 907-322-0843.
Reach columnist/community editor Kris Capps at kcapps@newsminer.com.
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