04/24/2026
Another day, another amazing article from On The Farm News!
Check out this one to learn all about our EMT Trish ⬇️
EMS workers shine: Trish Rowden
April is National Volunteer Month. We have been shining a light on local volunteers. Last edition we had a story on a husband and wife that volunteer for the Pipestone County Medical Center. This month we have profiles on three Murray County EMT's. Each year, the staff with the Murray County Ambulance cover between 450-500 calls at any hour of the day and in any weather that Southwest Minnesota can produce. Here are three members of the team that we are highlighting for their faithful service, dedication and willingness to sacrifice their personal time to cover call. The staff work tirelessly and play such an important role as they serve the community on the ambulance service.
• Emergency Medical Responder (First Responder) for Murray County Ambulance (since 2014)
• Administrative Assistant and Safety Coordinator for Schmitz Grain in Slayton for 13 years
For Trish Rowden, serving with emergency services is in her bones. She has a brother that is in law enforcement and a brother that was a firefighter and her brother is a policeman. She has taken serving her community to a higher level.
“In 2010, I donated a kidney,” she said. “I had a friend whose dad needed a transplant.”
The donor needed to have 0+ blood, and she not only fit that criteria, but she was also willing.
“I never thought in a million years that I would be a match, but as it turned out, I was almost a perfect match,” she said.
She considers being able to donate one of her kidney’s one of her greatest accomplishments in life.
“Besides raising my daughter and being a grand, that’s my greatest accomplishment,” she said. “He lived another 15 years.”
While she still has to get lab work done each year as a result of the donation, she says she has had no side effects.
In her work as a First Responder, although difficult, helping people is what she thrives on.
“At the end of the day, you can take a lot of tough calls but knowing you were there to help and save a life – there aren’t words to describe that,” she said.
She says that the EMS family is also a reward in this line of work.
“I get to work along side some really great people,” she said. “We all have a weird sense of humor, but they are a whole other family to turn to in life.”
She says that EMS family is her support in decompressing and managing the trama she works with in emergency situations.
“At the end of the day, going back to the ambulance garage and talking about the call – crying if you have to cry, screaming if you have to – it helps you get through,” she said.
“Everyone has a call that will stick with them for the rest of their life”, she says. “But sometimes helping someone else comes full circle.”
Trish remembers a call she helped with one winter: a woman tragically lost her mom, and Trish was able to comfort the woman in her loss. That woman sent her a thank you note after the incident.
“Then six months later, something happened in my life, and she was able to be the calm in my storm,” said Trish. “You may never know the people you help and how someone might be there for you when you need it.”
