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After 33 years with the Rock County Sheriff’s Office, dispatcher Terri Ebert is a walking encyclopedia of sorts in terms of whom and what she knows.
In her career she has answered hundreds of emergency calls, typed thousands of pages for reports, processed dozens of prisoners, and worked with a handful of dispatchers during the terms of five elected sheriffs.
After Friday, Dec. 30, however, Ebert will apply that same dedication to other activities as she officially retires from the law enforcement career she began in 1983.
A public open house in her honor will be from 2 to 4 p.m. Friday at the Rock County Law Enforcement Center.
Many current and past co-workers recall Ebert’s efficiencies on the job over the past three decades.
“She has so much knowledge with processes and day-to-day operations,” said current dispatcher Aaron Blank.
He said after Friday he’ll have to research the questions that he would normally just ask Ebert.
She said she began studying, learning from co-workers and familiarizing herself with all procedures early on in her career, when jobs would be added to her list of duties.
“Because I did everything, it kind of went hand in hand,” she said.
Ebert was first hired as an administrative assistant in 1983 by the late sheriff Ole Homman. She said she and her late husband, Chuck, and their three young girls had just moved to Luverne.
“I went in to apply just before the job applications closed,” Ebert recalled. “I interviewed the next day and started the job right away.”
As the assistant, Ebert was responsible for typing the deputies’ notes and completing the needed forms using a manual typewriter.
She said if something needed to be added or changed, she would have to retype the entire page.
Today, she said computers have made these edits easier and e-filing delivers reports to the right departments more quickly.
Due to her time working at a keyboard, several of the number and letter keys have been worn off due to Ebert’s frequent use.
Dispatcher Blank said he kept Ebert’s recently replaced keyboard and included those worn keys in a shadow box filled with memorabilia from Ebert’s time at the sheriff’s office.
A computer mouse, communications badge, handcuffs, a uniform patch and a blue pen are also in the shadow box.
“She insisted you write in blue ink,” Blank said.
Ebert said she began as a part-time dispatcher, filling in when needed. Later she added dispatch supervisor to her duties.
Dispatcher Gordy Bremer witnessed Ebert’s knack for organization and multi-tasking firsthand.
While he retired from full-time dispatching after 36 years, he still works part time when needed.
He said he appreciated Ebert’s flexibility in scheduling around holidays and family events while keeping dispatch available for law enforcement and public safety 24/7.
Bremer said he admired how Ebert embraced changing technology and demands of the assistant job.
“Reports have to be exact,” he said. “Detail is her thing.”
Details can make a life-saving difference during an emergency.
Rock County Ambulance Director Harlan Vande Kieft has worked in emergency management services for almost 30 years. His last three years have been spent in Luverne and working with Ebert.
“Any time you have a dispatcher who is knowledgeable and knows the assets around them is huge,” he said.
Asking questions saves time in dispatching emergency personnel to the correct location and, in the case of an accident, asking the type of injury can prepare paramedics and emergency room workers to act quickly.
“A great dispatcher can make a huge difference,” Vande Kieft said.
Coffee and cake will be served at the open house for Ebert. The law enforcement center is located at 1000 N. Blue Mound Ave., Luverne.