After more than four decades on the job, 911 Telecommunicator Juana Gilbert answered her final call for assistance early Saturday morning. Communications Supervisor Justin Draper then made the retirement official.
“It is with great pleasure being able to announce the retirement of Salem telecommunicator Juana Gilbert. Juana started with the police department in 1980 and has been the voice of the night working the radio on night shifts since her first shift. After 44 years of dedicated service to our community, Juana we wish you a well-deserved and happy retirement. You will be missed tremendously.”
Gilbert was honored by current and past employees of the Salem Police Department and the City of Salem during a Friday afternoon reception at city hall. She recalled beginning her career at the age of 18.
“I wasn’t planning on staying this long. Maybe two years, three at the most, enough to get money for college. I just fell in love with it. I fell in love with the people and the calls I’d get. You help people, they just don’t realize how much you help them being behind on the telephone. It was a job I loved and I hate to let it go, but it’s time.”
Gilbert says she wants to leave before she loses the mental acuity to do the job and has great younger telecommunicators to hand off the position.
“There is a lot to this job, doing fire, EMS, and police. The biggest change in the department was the computerization of all of it and the cell phones. Cell phones being able to call 911 and we could track where you were at and pinpoint. Now it is phenomenal. It takes a lot of stress out of us dispatchers when someone is screaming for help and they don’t know where they are at.
Gilbert was surprised when Mayor Pro-Tem Jim Koehler presented her with a key to the city.
“We will really miss you and how you kept things together. Your dedication cannot even be estimated. We thank you very much and on behalf of the City of Salem, I’m giving you the key to the city,” drawing loud approval from those in attendance.
Gilbert was also presented with a rocking chair from members of the department with the 911 and police department insignias.
Gilbert individually thanked those who helped launch her career and noted her working relationship with many others in the audience.
Mayor Pro-Tem Jim Koehler (left) presents the Key to the City to Juana Gilbert (center) as Police Chief Kyle Ambuehl looks on. Photo by Bruce Kropp.
Juana Gilbert behind her retirement cake. Photo by Bruce Kropp.
