Shipshewana Fire Chief Shawn Ellis recently became the town’s first full-time paid chief. (Standard-News Photo)
The town of Shipshewana’s first full-time paid fire chief is on duty and ready to be part of the community.
Chief Shawn Ellis signed up as a cadet at the Rindge, New Hampshire fire department when he was 15 years old. Incidentally, his father, Scott Ellis, was the first fulltime fire chief in Rindge.
After enlisting with the U.S. Marine Corps in 1996, Ellis served on a volunteer fire department in Jacksonville, North Carolina, where he was stationed. While living in Virginia, he also served on volunteer fire departments before taking a job in 2008 providing federal fire protection.
The federal contract most recently led him on a six-year stint on the island of Bahrain. He has a wife and two sons, Elijah, 3, and Isaac, 1, awaiting the appropriate international documentation to join Ellis in Shipshewana. He also has three children in Virginia, a 13-year-old son, Ashton, and two adult daughters, Kylie and Kaiti.
Family is important to Ellis and as a lifelong emergency responder, so is community. Shipshewana’s is his 14th firehouse.
“I love the area,” he said. “I’m super excited to be here … For me, it’s an opportunity to give back at a different level … Leadership is servitude … We are all human. We’re all God’s children.”
His certifications are nationally recognized. When he served overseas, he was certified by the Department of Defense.
Ellis claims conservative Christian values along with an open mind and desire for positive growth. His number one priority is the safety of the firefighters and the public. He is also focused on making sure the department is well-funded and the volunteers well-trained.
Ellis said he enjoys skill-building classes because there is always more to learn. While the public may perceive firefighting as “putting out fires and kicking in doors,” he said that is only about 1% of the job.
He extolled the previous volunteer chief Chad Miller for his 14-year commitment. Since being a paid firefighter, Ellis said he fully appreciates those who volunteer their time to keep their communities safe. They “just have a love for serving their community,” he said.
Established in 1925, Shipshewana Fire Department has a strong force. Miller will serve as dual assistant chief with Nate Hershberger, who has been on the team since 1994. Three captains – Daryl Chupp, Kenny Chupp and Dave Hostetler – will be joined by three more captains yet to be promoted.
Ellis has set short- and long-term goals for the department. He said he will be “an out-in-front leader and out-of-the-box thinker, an effective problem solver and somebody that leads in a way that’s consistent with safety and positive growth.”
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