Local 911 dispatcher passes away, leaving behind the impact he made on local communities

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GOSHEN, Ind. --- An unspoken hero from the Elkhart Dispatch Center has passed away. Daniel Schaefer was a prominent figure in public safety, serving areas across northern Indiana, and showing dedication to the communities he worked in.

Visitations were held for Schaefer at Yoder-Culp Funeral home on Sunday, from 1:00-3:00 P.M., as well as 5:00-7:00 P.M. Visitors say that each visitation brought in many people that Schaefer had an impact on, because he cared so much about his community.

Schaefer passed away on March 2nd, due to complications during surgery. He was just 49 years old.

Nicknamed 'Dispatcher Dan' for his work as a 9-1-1 dispatcher in Elkhart, Schaefer fulfilled many other roles in the realm of public safety. To name a few, he was a volunteer firefighter, captain, and EMS at Cleveland Fire Station, he had involvement at the Bristol Police Department, and also a park ranger in South Bend.

A co-worker of Schaefer's says that he was an asset to the Dispatch Center as well as the entire community. Not only did he change lives, but he saved them too.

“Anytime anyone had a question about who a person was, he knew that person and knew their life story, basically," says Dustin McLain, Schaefer's co-worker. "He knew everywhere and it’s just because he cared so much about this community, about the people in it, and that’s just what he took pride in. It like, radiated from him. He wanted all of us to be that same kind of dispatcher in person, in our personal lives as well. It meant a lot to us.”

Schaefer's funeral will be held Monday, March 7th at 11:00 A.M. at Yoder-Culp Funeral Home.

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