Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
Janice Carlin, the first woman to be on the Kosciusko Emergency Radio in 35 years of service, is an example of persistence paying off.
Kemrad is a local organization that helps local law enforcement and frees the officers for more major jobs. Kemrad is a nonprofit volunteer organization. Typical duties include traffic control at school athletic events, closing streets during bad storms and sometimes helping to direct traffic at accident scenes.
The organization started in the 1960s and was an all-male group until Carlin applied. She pushed for about a year before she was finally admitted in February. To get into Kemrad, one needs to fill out an application that is sent through the police. Then the members vote on whether the applicant is accepted.
She has the support of her husband - Alton Carlin is the director of the organization and has been with Kemrad for about five years.
"He was behind me 100 percent," she said.
Carlin, 42, hopes she has opened the door for other women to volunteer. "I'd like to see more women on there," she said. "Women can do the things men can do."
"We knew sooner or later a woman would get in," said Richard Engle, a member of Kemrad's board for 25 years. "She's done a real good job."
Engle has never actually worked with Carlin but is satisfied with the job she's done so far. "She's doing as a good a job as some of the guys we've had," he said.
Carlin enjoys her vocation very much.
"I think it's wonderful," she said. "They are a great group of guys to work with."
Carlin works as a hair stylist at Fiesta Hair & Tanning in Warsaw and is originally from Fort Wayne. She has lived in Warsaw for eight years. "It's a good feeling to give back to the community," she said. "And Warsaw is a good community."
Carlin will work the Downtown Days this weekend. She said there are plans for a table to be set up for volunteers to sign up for Kemrad since the organization needs more members.
