Goshen Fire Chief Dan Sink has been named Indiana Fire Chief of the Year by the Indiana Fire Chiefs Association at the Indiana Emergency Response Conference Awards on Friday, Oct. 4, 2024, in Noblesville, Ind. The awards recognize exceptional achievements by public safety professionals in Indiana.
“I am both honored and humbled to receive the award for Fire Chief of the Year,” said Chief Dan Sink. “What makes this so very special is that the nomination comes from the peers you work with in fire service. I am further honored to represent the Goshen Fire Department and the City of Goshen.”
Sink, who has served the Goshen Fire Department for more than 40 years, became chief in September 2005 after stints as assistant chief and EMS chief.
“Chief Sink’s leadership and dedication have profoundly impacted the safety of Goshen,” Mayor Gina Leichty said. “He is truly deserving of this recognition.”
During Sink’s tenure, the department assumed responsibility for the Elkhart Township Fire Department, initiated plans for a new fire station, and launched the Goshen Fire Academy, which recently graduated its first class.
This past August, the GFD, along with the city, partnered with Goshen Community Schools to create the first Fire and EMS Pathway Program to enable students from Goshen High School to complete fire and EMS training and earn necessary certifications through Ivy Tech to fulfill all requisite skills required to be hired as a firefighter or an EMT.
“We always look for opportunities to serve the Goshen community beyond our daily emergency response, and being able to provide education to Goshen students has been a dream of ours,” Sink said of the program.
Sink plans to retire in November. He will be succeeded by current GFD Assistant Chief Anthony Powell.