The City of West Burlington has a new Fire Chief.
Shaun Ryan, who currently serves as both the Fire Department’s Battalion Chief and the Police Department’s Assistant Chief, was tapped for the position during a Wednesday Board Meeting.
Ryan lives in Beaverdale with his wife and three daughters. He’s been with the City of West Burlington since 2000, when he started as a police officer.
“Being on the Police Department, you work hand in hand with the Fire Department and EMS, and you get to know the guys,” Ryan told KBUR, “What got me started was the Fire Chief in New London, and I was on New London Fire for about a year, and then my duties pulled me away. I took a couple of years off, but in 2004 I got back into the fire service with West Burlington.”
But despite extensive police and fire experience, Ryan still has a mountain to climb as the City’s new fire chief.
In West Burlington the fire cheif position doubles as the building inspector position. Ryan was certified in Commercial Building Inspection earlier this month, and still has to take several tests before becoming fully certified.
Ryan is actually the second person offered the fire chief position. A Rockford, Illinois man initially accepted the job before turning it down for a better offer.
Ryan will step into the shoes left by the late Mike Heim, who passed away unexpectedly in March after five years on the job. He’ll be the second chief in city history.
