With 30 years each under their belts, dispatchers Denise Kohler and Stacey Armaly will be retiring from the Wapakoneta Police Department. Both have seen an evolution in technology in the department and have made strong connections with the community.
Armaly got her start with the department in 1986 when she and her family came to Wapakoneta.
“They had an article in the paper and I thought ‘Well, I’m going to try it,’ I had always been intrigued in law enforcement, I got an interview and ended up getting hired,” said Armaly.
Kohler, just finishing high school, started off working at the Wapakoneta Daily News in the circulation department. It was there that she found the ad saying that the city was looking for dispatchers. While there were many experiences and moments that stand out in her memory, her first week of training remains unforgettable.
“There was an explosion on South Blackhoof Street at the county garage, and then during that time the fire chief at the time, Ed Schaub, had a heart attack at the scene. That first week really got my eyes open that this was a very serious job.”
See Thursday's paper for the full story.