Hoover firefighter named Jefferson County 2021 Paramedic of Year

Hoover firefighter Nathan Sweeney was honored Tuesday night at the Hoover City Council meeting for being selected as Jefferson County’s 2021 Paramedic of the Year by the Birmingham Regional Emergency Services System.

Sweeney has been employed with the Hoover Fire Department since 2014. He worked part-time at Fire Station No. 5 in Bluff Park for a while and then full-time at Fire Station No. 10 in Ross Bridge for a short period of time before moving to Station No. 4 on Municipal Drive in 2015. He has been the lead worker on Rescue 40 the past two years, Chief Clay Bentley said.

“Nathan is the epitome of what we’re looking for in an individual for our department,” Bentley said. “His work ethic, his integrity, his courage, what he does, what he shows on a daily basis is unbelievable. He is on one of the busier trucks in our city, and he never complains about anything. If you see him at a fire or a medical emergency, he’s always the hardest worker there.”

There aren’t too many nights when Sweeney gets a full night’s sleep or too many meals he gets to eat uninterrupted, Bentley said.

“That’s the nature of the beast, but he does it with such grace,” the chief said. “We’re just honored and happy to have him.”

Sweeney always maintains a good attitude no matter what happens, even during a high volume of calls or when he’s stuck at the hospital for hours on end, waiting to transfer a patient to a bed, Bentley said.

Sweeney also this past year had to handle several horrible calls involving children and did so remarkably well, mentoring younger firefighters as they went through the calls, the chief said. He also was instrumental in responding to a fatal trench rescue call after having just completed trench rescue training, Bentley said.

“Those guys worked for well over three hours nonstop to make that as successful as it could be,” he said.

In addition to admiring Sweeney’s professional pursuits, Bentley said one of the things that stands out to him the most is Sweeney’s love for his family.

“He loves his wife, Jaime, unconditionally, and his daughter, Ellie,” Bentley said. “When he talks about them at the fire station, he just lights up because they love him and support him.”

Bentley thanked Sweeney’s family for sharing him with the department because he knows it is a sacrifice the entire family makes.