Ryan Sweeney grew up in Bloomington, Illinois. He began volunteering in the Secor Fire Department in 2004, and in 2006 he joined the Armington Fire and Rescue Department. In 2007 Ryan moved to the rescue side of the fire department, and just a little over a year ago he became chief of the rescue department. Overall Ryan has been volunteering and helping those in need for over 17 years.
Ryan’s motivation to volunteer began after he and his family had a situation where they needed help, so they called 911. The number of people who came to help him in his time of need, and the fact they were all volunteering to do this for him and others, made him realize he wanted to do the same.
One thing Ryan wanted to stress to people about the Armington Fire and Rescue Department is that “We’re always here to help, always happy to help. I'd like people to know not to hesitate to call if they think they need help. We are more than happy to come. If they need help, we’ll help them, and if things change and they don’t need help we will smile and say nice to meet you and be on our way. I don’t ever want anyone to be afraid to call”.
Outside of heading the Armington Rescue Squad, Ryan owns his own business, Sweeney Repairs. He works on heavy equipment within his business such as semi-trucks, construction equipment, and ag equipment. He also enjoys spending his free time with his family.
Just through my brief time talking to Ryan, it was obvious how much he truly cares about helping his community. He loves being able to help people in need, and also loves the people he has met while volunteering. He stated he was, “really really blessed to have met some of the people [he has] met through it”.