There are women who shatter the glass ceiling, and then there are women who are trailblazers. South Haven's first female career firefighter, Dawn Hinz, just hung up her helmet after 21 years of service, but she isn't done giving back to the community.
Hinz was hired as South Haven's first career female firefighter, serving seven years with the Covert Fire Department, and the past 14 years with South Haven Area Emergency Services. The number of female SHAES firefighters grew to three in the full-time ranks and another six in the paid-on-call staff.
Over the years, Hinz excelled in the challenging atmosphere of career firefighting and EMS. She competed in the Firefighter Combat Challenge multiple times, frequently being the only female to finish the challenge.
As a USAT-certified triathlon coach, she guides athletes to their own fitness goals and finishes lines in her spare time.
Continuing her passion for women keeping up with men, she studied with Dr. Stacy Sims, author of “Women are Not Small Men”. The book explores a women’s physiology to unlock an extra 5-10 percent of their physical ability through training.
Dawn will continue her affiliation with Athletic Mentors of Kalamazoo, a Corporate Wellness and Coached Gym that inspires healthy living no matter an individual's current fitness ability. Additionally, Athletic Mentors coach and manage cycling and multi-sport teams with a youth development focus.
