Goshen’s long-time fire chief, Dan Sink, received the Indiana Fire Chief of the Year award at the Indiana Emergency Response Conference Awards last Friday. The award was presented by the Indiana Fire Chiefs Association.
Sink has dedicated nearly 43 years to the Goshen Fire Department and will retire at the beginning of November. Assistant Chief Anthony Powell, who will succeed Sink as the new fire chief, praised Sink for elevating the Goshen Fire Department to a new level.
“He integrated himself into county level, the state level, the international level, and the Chief’s Association,” Powell said. “He then learned from them. What that did for the rest of us was we came up under that leadership. We were able to do the same things in our respective disciplines.”
Under Sink’s leadership, Goshen launched several programs to strengthen its commitment to the community and prepare future firefighters. These programs include the Recruit Fire Academy, where new firefighters receive hands-on training, and the Firefighter EMS Pathways Program in collaboration with Goshen High School, where high school students acquire essential skills before starting their careers. These initiatives reflect Sink’s legacy.
According to Powell, the department will greatly miss Sink when he steps down in November.
“There's going to be some big shoes to fill,” Powell said. “There’s going to be a void with the knowledge and experience that he has. He put in over 43 years.”
