Firefighter/EMT Jacob Ginnings didn’t grow up with dreams of riding a fire engine or battling flames, but after about three years with the Boerne Fire Department, he can’t imagine doing anything else.
His path to the Fire Station wasn’t a straight shot. After earning a finance degree from Texas A&M University in College Station, Jacob landed a job in San Antonio while living in the Boerne area with friends who introduced him to volunteer fire associations. He became a volunteer firefighter with the Boerne Fire Department in his spare time, and the spark was lit.
“You go from knowing nothing and just being a shadow around here to slowly developing your skills and getting a deeper understanding of the job,” Ginnings said.
It wasn’t long before he felt himself drawn to pursue firefighting full time – stepping into a career of service above all else.
“My previous job was at an insurance company, which is there to help people,” Ginnings said. “But after a few years I realized that the company had to focus more on the bottom line first, which is the last of our considerations at the Fire Department.”
Jacob left his job and began earning his firefighter and EMT certifications and was ready to join the Boerne Fire Department full time when the opportunity became available. He credits the culture of the fire house and his fellow firefighters for encouraging him throughout his training and the time between paychecks.
Ready for Anything
As the work of a modern fire department evolves, the men and women who operate the stations must be highly trained and ready to respond at a moment’s notice to an array of calls.
“It’s an incredible opportunity to be a first responder and firefighter with the unique topography of Boerne and the different scenarios we respond to in a 200-square-mile service area,” Ginnings said.
Whether they are assisting neighboring volunteer departments like Comfort, Waring, and Bergheim or heading to a traffic accident on I-10, Jacob and his fellow Boerne firefighters are on the truck no matter the call.
“A lot of this job is, ‘You don’t know what you don’t know.’ Every call is different and someone is relying on you as their sole response,” Ginnings said. “At a moment’s notice you’re applying your skills, training, and expertise to help someone in a time of need. You have to adapt and make those decisions quickly in a high-stress scenario.”
There are the expected calls like structure fires and traffic accidents, but there are also other situations that come with being in the Texas Hill Country. These might be a water rescue on Boerne City Lake or one of the many rivers in the area, or it could be responding to a cave where someone is trapped.
They even get calls to assist with wildlife.
“You never know what you might run into in the Hill County. About a year ago we used rope systems to rescue a goat that had gotten stuck on the side of cliff,” Ginnings said.
Beyond putting water on flames, firefighters are certified emergency medical technicians and frequently respond alongside Kendall County EMS. They are even trained to respond to active threats with specialized ballistic equipment and medical kits designed to stop bleeding and then evacuate patients.
Because emergencies don’t take a day off, the Fire Station is manned around the clock with crews rotating on 48-hour shifts. Jacob says one of the hardest parts of the job is being woken up at 3 a.m. and getting out the door in a minute or less, prepared to function at a high level for whatever is on the other end of a call.
It’s a job that demands a lot of those who wear the uniform, and those who do lean on each other like family.
“It speaks to why people want to be at the Boerne Fire Department,” Ginnings said. “There aren’t many people who leave. There are a lot of people at the department who were born and raised in Boerne and just want to give back, be close to their families, and see the town flourish. That’s not something you get in every place.”
Though he hasn’t been with the department long, Jacob quickly established himself as a reliable asset to the team. At the end of 2025, he was recognized with the Fire Department Director’s Award for his exceptional dedication to learning, service, and teamwork.
Jacob, who is originally from North Texas, enjoys the small-town feel of Boerne and its culture. Recently engaged, he and his fiancé are settling into their new home.
