Pat Kelly of Adams Township always knew she wanted a career that would allow her to help other people. And she found it.

Kelly, a paramedic and crew chief with Quality EMS in Mars, has worked as a first responder for 24 years.

“I have a very strong faith in God and I think that really helps me do my job. It's helped me to be able to help a lot of people over the years,” Kelly said.

The 66 year old found running ambulance crews during the coronavirus pandemic changed the dynamic of her work — calls declined drastically but those needing help waited until they were very ill, and the risk of contact COVID-19 was ever-present.

“My kids were very worried and they wanted me to retire,” Kelly said. “They still worry.”

Erica Corso, Quality EMS director, said Quality EMS saw a 55 percent drop in emergency calls since mid- to late-March and five nonemergency wheelchair van drivers have been laid off.

People were putting off calling 911 for help, she said.

“We were finding sicker patients because they were waiting longer to call 911,” Corso said. “They were still having medical emergencies, but they were afraid to call 911 because they didn't want to go to the hospital out of fear of getting the virus.”

Fear didn't keep Kelly from her work. But she and her husband, Tim, had to deal with a COVID-19 reality.

“My husband was worried at first. I came in contact with one person who was infected. Me and my husband had to quarantine for two weeks,” Kelly said. “He knows the risk involved, but he also knows I love my job.”

[naviga:h3]Path to a career[/naviga:h3]

Kelly didn't start out planning to ride an ambulance into emergency situations.

She graduated from Clarion University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology in 1975, but couldn't find a job in the field.

So she worked as a waitress and eventually as a manager at the Howard Johnson's in the Zelienople Plaza of the Pennsylvania Turnpike until 1983 when she and her husband had Erin, the first of their three children.

“I just wanted to help people,” Kelly, 66, said about pursuing her degree, “I applied for jobs, but there weren't many for a (person with a) bachelors.”

After the couple had their other children, Scott and Cliff, she began working as a volunteer emergency medical technician for the Mars Volunteer Fire Department in 1991.

A few years later, Kelly was among a group of about 20 people who founded Quality EMS in Mars and she started working for the new service in 1994 as a volunteer EMT.

She became a paramedic in 1996 and got a full-time job with Cranberry Township EMS two years later while working part time for Quality EMS.

She left Cranberry Township EMS after becoming full time with Quality EMS in 2007 and is now a crew chief.

“I stayed with Quality because I live in service area and I care about the people in the service area,” Kelly said.

One of her neighbors who was involved in starting Quality EMS was her inspiration to help the effort.

“I just loved it and I still love it today.”

[naviga:h3]A friend, leader[/naviga:h3]

Kelly is someone others look to.

“She's a great paramedic. She's a great friend and she's a great leader,” Corso said.

Kelly helps new hires prepare to deal with whatever they might encounter when responding to an emergency call.

“She pulls her wings around them. She has a mom effect. She helps prepare them to respond. She's a good worker,” Corso said.

It's all about taking care of each other, Kelly said.

“It was important to me to help people who give back to the community where I live,” Kelly said. “I have a lot of family and friends in the service area and I wanted to help them.”

Many businesses and residents have turned out to helped Quality EMS during the pandemic by donating cleaning supplies, masks and money.

“The support from the community has just been awesome,” Kelly said.

She said she considered stepping down last year.

“I thought about retiring last year, but didn't. I can't imagine what I would do if I wasn't working,” she said. “One day I will.”