Editor's Note: This is the first in a series of profiles about a group of dedicated county workers with tough jobs.
The same three jobs seem to appear on the Callaway County website over and over again.
Corrections officer. Communications operator. Road deputy.
The hours stink. The jobs are stressful. The salaries are less than the county's average annual wages.
But there are reasons why Sgt. Rusty McCormack loves his job as a corrections officer at the Callaway County Jail.
"You get out of it what you put into it," he said. "I came in and started at the bottom of the totem pole. With any job, there's structure and positions to work up to. You have to work hard. Sometimes plans work out and sometimes they don't, but I love my job."
The job of corrections officer starts at $26,000 annually with a full benefits package. Applicants must be at least 21 years old and have a high school diploma (or the equivalent). Basic computer skills, availability for holiday, weekend or night shifts, and ability to successfully pass criminal background and drug tests are requirements. Training is provided.
"I'm extremely proud of the men and women who do this," said Sheriff Clay Chism, also including his road deputies in that assessment. "They don't do this for the money."
McCormack said several members of his family have been and are involved with law enforcement. One is a cousin, an investigator for the Columbia Police Department.
"My grandfather was a deputy a long time ago," he added.
That was special "reserve" deputy Joseph Ball, who worked under two Callaway County sheriffs, Ted Salmons and Harry Lee.
"The character of man that he was and wanting to follow in his footsteps," McCormack said of that inspiring man.
It doesn't hurt that McCormack has outstanding skills - a fact backed up by his boss Chism.
"It's something I enjoy and I feel that I'm good at it," he added. "I'm approachable but I also understand where the line is, as far as safety and security."
McCormack, 35, graduated from South Callaway High School in 2001 and immediately joined the U.S. Army, serving eight years.
"I did two tours in Iraq and one tour in South Korea," he said. "I was an E4 specialist, an Apache helicopter crew chief."
After leaving the Army, he went for a short time to Michigan and then returned home, working in management at a Fulton store.
Then he looked into becoming a corrections officer.
"There were better benefits here and it was something I wanted to do," he said. "I came in and applied and got a call the next morning."
His job started March 28, 2010, so he's about to celebrate his seventh anniversary at the Callaway County Jail.
The jail has 109 beds but officials try to keep the population to a more manageable 80, Chism said.
"After that, space and personnel issues become even more present," he said.
One skill that McCormack possesses is being able to diffuse a tense situation.
"You treat people the way you want to be treated," he said. "I don't add fuel to the fire. I try to resolve and mitigate."
He's also a leader and someone other correction officers can come to for advice; prisoners, too, he said. Knowing he makes a difference makes McCormack feel good about his job.
"A gentleman who came in multiple times, a felony DWI offender - I sat him down and asked him at what point does (his behavior) stop?" McCormack added.
He later ran into the man at a gas station, and the man explained how he had turned his life around.
"He doesn't drink and drive anymore," McCormack said. "People see you on the street and shake your hand, and say thank you for treating me like a human."
Other corrections officers feel much like McCormack, he added.
"There are people here for the money, but others are not," he said. "They would do it for $100 a week."
The Callaway County Sheriff's Office is an equal opportunity employer, and all genders are welcome to apply.
"There is a place for employees of both genders," McCormack said. "I've got female COs over there who've been toe-to-toe with me."
Added Chism: "Females are a huge asset to both corrections and patrol divisions."
People thinking about a job with the county sheriff's office should think ahead, both McCormack and Chism said.
"The long-term dedication to this job will pay out," McCormack said. "And on the long end, the county really does invest in their people."
Other positions:
Beginning communications operators start at $26,000 (plus benefits) as well, and applicants must be able to weekends, holidays and all shifts. Applicants must be at least 18 and have high school diplomas or the equivalent. Training will be required.
Road deputies' starting salaries at $31,000 plus benefits, and applicants must be at least 21 years old, pass drug screens and be POST certified. Rotating shifts also are required.
"The county does have a very competitive benefits package," Chism said.
Job descriptions can be read at callawaycounty.org/jobs/. Applications may be picked up at Callaway County Human Resources Department, 10 E. Fifth St. in Fulton.