Feb. 22—STATEHOUSE — On Feb. 15 State Rep. Tim Wesco (R-Osceola) presented a Sagamore of the Wabash award to Fire Chief Timm Schabbel of the Clay Fire Territory for his 35 years of service and dedication to the South Bend community.

Wesco presented the award to Schabbel during Clay Fire’s annual awards banquet. Schabbel is the longest tenured chief officer in the agency’s 75-year history, serving from 1997 to 2024, a news release stated. Under Schabbel’s leadership, Clay Fire became the first internationally accredited fire department in the state.

“For the last 35 years of his career, Chief Schabbel has shown what it takes to be a leader inside and outside of the firehouse,” Wesco said. “He embodies all of the qualities of what a public servant should try to strive for and achieve. I, along with so many Hoosiers, are incredibly thankful for his service and it’s an honor to be able to present him the Sagamore of the Wabash.”

In addition to uniting three fire departments into the Clay Fire Territory, Schabbel successfully proposed and created the Clay Fire Command Training Center, which was the first such resource in Indiana, and has trained more than 300 incident commanders from all around the world.

Schabbel began his career in Romeoville, Illinois as a firefighter. He was promoted to lieutenant before transferring to Clay Township Fire Department in 1989 and later named fire chief of the Clay Fire Territory. Schabbel served on numerous local, state and national boards, committees, associations and other professional organizations, many of which he served as president.

Wesco said he has been recognized as the Indiana Firefighter of the Year and received the Clay Township Trustee’s Award. Schabbel also received the inaugural Indiana Fire Chief of the Year Award as well as the distinguished International Association of Fire Chiefs’ Health, Safety and Survival Section “Garry Briese” Safety Performance Award for making significant contributions to the overall environment of health and safety in their organizations.

“Chief Schabbel is an outstanding fire service professional, mentor, colleague and most of all an outstanding leader,” said Jaren Kilian, assistant fire chief of Clay Fire. “He is and always has been a leader to those of us in the profession. For over 35 years he has been the most visible proponent of safe, effective, efficient and fiscally responsible delivery of emergency services.”

Dating back to the 1940s, the Sagamore of the Wabash award was created by former Gov. Ralph Gates. It is the highest honor the governor can bestow and is presented to distinguished Hoosiers who have made significant contributions to the state of Indiana.