Emergency calls, stage lights and swim meets may not seem connected, but for one local volunteer, they all serve the same purpose – helping others. Trish Fields has turned each role into both a way to heal herself and give back to her community. Fields’ path to emergency services began not with a lifelong plan, but with a crisis that gripped the world. “There was a shortage in all medical fields during COVID, so I signed up for an EMT class,” said Fields. That decision set her on a course that now includes service with Richmond Fire Department, Ray County Ambulance and the Missouri State Fair Fire Department, where this summer she received the EMS Provider of the Year Award. For Fields, the most rewarding part of the work has been deeply personal. “My favorite part is being that calming voice for someone on their worst day and knowing I make a difference for someone,” stated Fields. Her connection to the Missouri State Fair Fire Department came by chance. “While doom scrolling…