MERRILL – The Merrill Fire Department recently hired its 190th member, filling one of two vacant positions in the department, the department announced today.
Firefighter/Paramedic Ryan Dunn began his work on April 1 and was sworn in today, April 4. He will participate in a week-long orientation program before joining his new shift, B-Crew, on April 10.
Dunn must complete 10 work shifts before being considered part of the daily minimum staffing. These shifts give him time to learn the basics of the job for the department.
Dunn is a 2009 graduate of Hartford Union High School. He continued his post-secondary education at Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College and Mid-State Technical College. Since going to school and throughout his career, Dunn earned his Wisconsin state Firefighter I & II, Driver/Operator – Pumper & Aerial, Fire Officer I, Emergency Services Instructor I, and hazardous material technician certifications. Additionally, he is licensed as a Wisconsin EMT – Paramedic with a Critical Care Paramedic endorsement.
In addition to his formal education, Dunn joins the department with previous fire and EMS experience. He started his emergency service career with the Neillsville Fire Department in 2012 and served with them until 2016. That same year, Dunn was hired by Ashland Fire Department as a firefighter/EMT and stayed with that department until he was hired by Marshfield Fire & Rescue in 2019. Dunn also joined the Stratford Area Fire Department in 2019.
The fire department is confident that Dunn will be a great addition to the staff.
“When we went through this last hiring process, we specifically targeted Ryan because he stood out to us in the previous process as a potential good fit for our department,” said Fire Chief Josh Klug in a news release.
The fire department will host a badge pinning ceremony for Dunn in the future. The exact date and time will be announced later and the public will be invited.
