Goshen fire chief joins Elkhart County Board of Health
Dec. 4—ELKHART — Goshen Fire Chief Danny Sink has joined the Elkhart County Board of Health.
"Chief Sink is a welcome addition to the Elkhart County Board of Health," Josi DeHaven, chair and spokesperson for the board, said in a news release. "His frontline experience, particularly right now as we continue to tackle the ever-evolving issues surrounding COVID-19, is incredibly valuable. Danny's wisdom and love for Elkhart County help make our county board of health and the decisions we're entrusted with even better."
A native of Goshen, Sink joined the city's fire department 40 years ago, in 1981.
"A lot has changed since then," added Sink, who has served as Goshen's fire chief since 2006. "But the men and women who do this work are still among the first on scene whether it's fire, accident or health-related. First responders still do dangerous work."
In 2012, during Hurricane Sandy, Sink was deployed to New York as an operations section chief with the All-Hazards Incident Management Team. He has testified at the Indiana Statehouse regarding fire and EMS-related legislative issues and currently serves as president of the Indiana Fire Chief's Association, according to the release.
While serving as chief paramedic for Goshen, Sink delivered pre-hospital medical care for regional hospitals and taught Advanced Cardiac Life Support, Pediatric Advanced Life Support and Basic Trauma Life Support to other paramedics and nurses. He also spent 19 years working part-time at Fort Wayne's Parkview Hospital as a flight paramedic on Samaritan medical transports, the release states.
"I've seen firsthand how our frontline safety personnel and a strong board of health and county health officer can reduce some of the pressure on local doctors, hospitals and associated health professionals," Sink said. "I look forward to working with my colleagues on the board of health to make this one of the safest communities in the state of Indiana."
Sink currently serves as chairman of the Indiana Fire Alliance, president of the Elkhart County Fire Chiefs Association and president of the Elkhart County Public Safety Communications Advisory Board. He is a former president of the Great Lakes Division of the International Association of Fire Chiefs and is a member of the Elkhart Career Center Public Safety Advisory Board.
ABOUT THE BOARD
The Elkhart County Board of Health is a seven-member board which serves the county's residents with health information, services and programs.
The board typically meets on the fourth Thursday of every month, though there are no meetings in July or November and December's meeting typically falls on the first Thursday of the month.
Board meetings start at 7 p.m. and, when held in person, are held in the Elkhart County Administration Building, Room 104, 117 N. Second Street, Goshen. All meetings are open to the public.
Four of the seven health board members have resigned or will do so by the end of the year. Dr. Ebenezer Kio, an oncologist, and Dr. Donald Findlay, a retired dentist and Todd Meier announced this fall they will quit by the end of the year.
Dr. Randy Cammenga quit in September.
Health officer Dr. Bethany Wait will also resign at the end of the year.
John Kline can be reached at john.kline@goshennews.com or 574-533-2151, ext. 240315. Follow John on Twitter @jkline_TGN.
