63: Kristen Racis

EMT

Kristin, an EMT for years at Western Berks Ambulance, told us that they respond to all kinds of emergency calls, injury, illness, etc. Surprisingly she said that the number of calls decreased during the pandemic. The reason being, people were scared of potential encounters with the COVID virus. This delay in proper care often would cause the calls they did receive made the cases more severe than they may have been if they were made earlier. She even told us of a death from COVID where the person was initially afraid to make the call in fear of contracting the virus. Sadly, the call was made by a family member after the person passed away at home.

Personally, she made an extra effort to stay healthy: supplements, vitamins, lots of hand sanitizing and washing, proper PPE…all of this and more at home, work and in the ambulance.

Once Western Berks was stocked with their own PPE, which she says was hard to come by at first, they began distributing any extra to neighboring medical services.

She realized now that life is short. Don’t take it for granted. Help out even those you don’t know in a way you would want your family to be treated. In general, love people.