A retirement party was held for Cindy “CJ” Justice and Deb Carpenter on Thursday, Jan. 26, at the Kosciusko County Justice Building. Both women are retiring from dispatch work after 32 and 22 years, respectively. The Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Office presented the women with certificates. From left: Justice, Kosciusko County Sheriff Jim Smith and Carpenter. InkFreeNews photo by Leah Sander.

By Leah Sander
InkFreeNews

WARSAW — For Cindy “CJ” Justice and Deb Carpenter, helping other people has motivated them in dispatch work.

The Warsaw women are retiring Friday, Jan. 27, after a combined 54 years working for Kosciusko County dispatch. A retirement party was held for them on Thursday, Jan. 26, at the Kosciusko County Justice Building.

Family, various emergency responders and local government staff were present to congratulate the two.

Kosciusko County Sheriff Jim Smith spoke briefly.

“It takes every piece of emergency services to do what we do,” he said. “And I think of every tough call I’ve had over the years, critical incidents, what have you, it starts right there on the other end of that headset for all the dispatchers, so in a lot of ways they’re like the unsung heroes right behind the scenes, but you’re in there with us and we can’t do what we do, the same thing with fire and EMS, without dispatchers doing their job.”

“I selfishly don’t want to lose them, but I’m happy for them to find happiness moving forward,” Smith added.

Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Chris McKeand said the women have performed their duties while undergoing strides in technology at county dispatch.

“These two have been a huge part in making that transition from the very first steps all the way to where it’s up today and I think they need to be recognized for everything they’ve done over the years to get us there, so thank you very much,” he said.

Justice and Carpenter also said a few words.

“I just want to thank everybody that’s helped with making dispatch what it is today and I’ve enjoyed my years with dispatch,” said Justice. “It’s kind of a sad thing to leave, but it’s time for me to move on and start a new career, so thank you everyone.”

“I just want to say thank you. I’ve made a ton of friends … and I couldn’t have done it without all the other dispatchers, so … thank you,” said Carpenter.

The KCSO then presented both women with certificates.

Justice and Carpenter also chatted a bit with InkFreeNews about their dispatch careers and moving forward.

Justice came into dispatch having worked with EMS for 16 years. She started out working for just the Warsaw Police Department before that was combined with county dispatch.

“We dispatch 38 emergency agencies in Kosciusko County,” said Justice.

“I’ll miss my coworkers and I’ll just miss in general helping people,” she said. “It’s been a pleasure to serve the community. It really has.”

Justice said stress was what she’s happy to leave behind from the job.

“You go from zero to 100 on your stress level on calls,” she said.

Carpenter, the current dispatch director, said she won’t miss the “sad calls.”

“The ones that don’t end happily and you know you kind of carry those with you and those are hard,” she said.

Like Justice, she vouched for helping others through the role, mentioning that’s what motivated her to enter dispatch work.

That’s also what she’ll miss the most.

“Even as the director and (previously as) the assistant director, just helping the dispatchers go from point A to point B and figure stuff out and it will be missed,” she said.

She and Justice would tell others to work for dispatch because of it being “rewarding.”

“There are those times that are sad, but you still have to know for as many of those there are so many other ones that you help somebody and you were that calming voice on the other end on probably one of the worst days of their life,” said Carpenter.

Both women will continue working in local government, with Justice to become utilities clerk for the town of Winona Lake and Carpenter to take a position in the Kosciusko County Treasurer’s Office.