A lifelong resident of North Ogden, Ryan Barker said he has good memories of working with his grandparents Ray and Fern on their farm as a kid. He even helped his grandparents’ neighbor Lyman Barker birth a calf. “I only needed to experience that once,” he said as he chuckled. 

Ryan said his family still owns some farm lands where they still harvest alfalfa and grain. He said he enjoys taking his kids out to it and giving them a glimpse of what life was like for him as a kid. He and his wife Kimberley have four children. Corbin is 14, Bailey is 12, Brigham is 6, and Ezra is 4.  

He began his education at Green Acres Elementary School and earned a Bachelor’s degree in Business Marketing from Weber State University. After graduating, he saw a good opportunity for work in construction and ten years later he decided to become a firefighter. 

“Breaking into the fire industry was pretty hard… For every person who was hired, there were 100 who applied.” He said his persistence and hard work set him apart and eventually got him a job at North View Fire Department. “North View Fire Department was my number one choice.” He said he loves North Ogden and he wanted to stay close. 

He became the Fire Marshal two and a half years later. Ryan said Fire Marshals have the same requirements as a firefighter but with additional responsibilities. In this position he said his duties include fire code enforcement, investigating the origin and cause of fires, and making sure locations have the proper prevention equipment like fire extinguishers, sprinkler systems, and proper exit signs.

In his candidate bio when he ran for city council in the previous election, he said he works closely with the Planning Department. Previously, Ryan Barker has come to City Council meetings to make sure potential changes in the city follow fire code. 

Ryan Barker’s favorite part of his job is when they visit elementary schools and teach about fire safety or when kids come to the fire station for a tour. “I remember sitting in the firetrucks as a kid and it is nice to pay it forward.”

He said one of the main things he has learned recently is how important it is to be civil with each other. He said the Facebook discussions have helped him see that “we need to respect others’ views and opinions, even if we don’t agree.”