A man with a plan for life
A man with a plan for life
By ALLAN TINKER
You shouldn’t be misled by the dimples. Underneath the easygoing charm and the penchant for being a real life clown, lies a careful, seasoned law enforcement professional.
New deputy for the Sheridan County Sheriff’s Dept. Dan Reich arrives with a string of experience wound within his bare 22 years of life. He spent more than 1,000 hours of “ride alongs” with law enforcement from the early days of his Explorer program until he completed his required training to become a law enforcement officer for real.
As he tells it, while others his age were spending time on more frivolous pastimes, he was already setting the pace for his later occupational field. Graduating 23 of 150 students, slightly behind by his brother’s earlier standing, he received a $1,000 scholarship for being a Student of Excellence, and also earned student of the month during his high school years.
Football and wrestling, and some baseball, were also part of his high school personal program. When he was just 16 he became involved in the Wright County’s Explorer program and became involved in law enforcement.
Reich also became “Dimples, the Clown,” entertaining at nursing homes, parades and other events, showing his balloon animals and make people feel happy. He learned the skills at a once-a-week community education program in Maple Lake, MN, taught by a professional clown.
Reich also has served with ambulance services as a nationally certified Emergency Medical Technician (EMT). Learning this skill was part of his law enforcement training, a choice between learning first responder level medical care or the higher level for emergency response. He has worked with the North Memorial Ambulance Service in Redwood Falls for one and one-half years, and with the Thief River Falls Area Ambulance Service.
