Ryan BalLard

Ryan M. Ballard is a seasoned emergency services professional with more than two decades of experience spanning emergency medical services, tactical medicine, fire service operations, healthcare education, and public service. He currently serves as an Advisor in Environmental Health and Safety and brings a uniquely multidisciplinary perspective shaped by frontline response, leadership, and systems-level emergency preparedness.

Ryan is a Nationally Registered Paramedic (NR‑EMTP) with extensive experience in high-acuity, high-risk environments, including metropolitan EMS systems, hospital-based emergency departments, rural EMS operations, and tactical medical support. His career includes advanced life support practice with Wayne Township EMS, Wishard Health Services EMS, Henry County EMS, and IU Methodist Emergency Medicine and Trauma Center.

In addition to his civilian EMS career, Ryan serves as a Contract Medic with the Muncie Fire Department, providing advanced medical support and operational readiness for fire and rescue operations. He is also a Reserve Officer with the Muncie Police Department and an active Muncie Police Department SWAT Medic and Operator, where he integrates tactical operations with advanced medical care in high-threat environments. His tactical background includes SWAT TEMS training and extensive experience with interagency disaster, active threat, and mass casualty preparedness.

Ryan’s professional expertise also extends into funeral service and mortuary science. He is a licensed Funeral Director and Embalmer, holding an Associate Degree in Mortuary Science, and currently practices with Ballard and Sons Funeral Home and Hinsey Brown Funeral Service. His work includes restorative and reconstructive post-mortem care, regulatory compliance, and family-centered services, providing a rare continuum-of-care perspective that bridges prehospital medicine, hospital care, and post-mortem operations.

An experienced educator and public speaker, Ryan has created and facilitated training programs, participated in mock disaster exercises with regional and federal partners, and contributed to national discussions on EMS policy and line-of-duty death benefits. He has been featured multiple times in JEMS Magazine and has received numerous awards, including Paramedic of the Year, the Medal of Valor, the Medal of Bravery, and commendations from the Indiana State Senate and national service organizations.

Ryan has also served in elected and appointed leadership roles, including as a Delaware County Councilman, Indiana State Delegate, and President of the Delaware County 911 Board. His committee work reflects a strong commitment to governance, emergency communications, public safety infrastructure, and community resilience.

Known for his collaborative leadership style, operational humility, and ability to navigate complex, high-stress environments, Ryan Ballard continues to advance emergency preparedness, tactical medicine, and interdisciplinary coordination across fire, law enforcement, healthcare, and community systems.