Nov. 8—GOSHEN — As the clock neared 6 p.m. Friday, Goshen Fire Chief Dan Sink signed off with dispatch for the last time.
“Effective immediately, I am transferring command,” Sink paused for a moment to hold back tears as he spoke to dispatch over a live scanner feed at the Goshen Theater, “of the Goshen Fire Department, to Assistant Chief Anthony Powell, who was appointed as our new fire chief.”
A new leader, former Assistant Chief Anthony Powell took his place.
“We will take it from here, chief,” Powell said to Sink, while online for the community to hear.
“Rest easy, chief,” dispatch responded.
Powell was officially named Goshen’s next fire chief during the Change of Command Ceremony held at the Goshen Theater Friday night.
“This moment marks a significant milestone in my career and brings a profound opportunity to serve in both our community and our department in new ways,” Powell said. “I am fully committed to meeting the high expectations that come with this position.”
Goshen Mayor Gina Leichty said during the ceremony that Powell began his fire service at Middlebury’s fire department, accompanying his grandfather, a volunteer firefighter, to the station, as a young teenager. One day, Leichty said, a firefighter asked Powell if he would keep hanging around or get to work. Powell eventually moved on to Goshen Fire Department where over the past 20 years, he served as volunteer, paramedic, shift instructor, fire investigator, sergeant, lieutenant, training chief, and most recently assistant fire chief.
The ceremony was as much a celebration of Sink as it was a celebration of Powell’s new position.
Sink commanded the Goshen Fire Department for 19 years, having first joined the force in 1981. Sink was appointed fire chief by former Goshen Mayor Allan Kauffman in 2005 and served with former Mayor Jeremy Stutsman and current Mayor Leichty. This year, Sink was recognized with the Indiana Fire Chief of the Year Award and the EMS Directors Award.
“He’s a legend in his own time, and if you’ve met him even once, you understand why,” Stutsman said. “Chief, you have been by my side through some of the most challenging times and I can honestly say I couldn’t have been mayor without you.”
Stutsman recalled support during the 2018 flood, extreme cold in 2019, winter storms, major gas leaks, and the COVID-19 pandemic.
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