WORCESTER, Mass. - National efforts to recruit people from underrepresented communities to the emergency medical service workforce continue to fall short because of different perceived barriers.

Now, during Hispanic Heritage Month, a local EMT is sharing how her background helps her when caring for patients and how she spreads the word about her job.

Valerie Rossy said she loves her job as an emergency medical technician.

“You get to meet really interesting, colorful people," Rossy said. "Even if it's their worst moments, it's still interesting to be able to meet them and just know that you help them.”

Despite responding to stressful emergency situations, Rossy said there’s some time to have fun on the job.

“When I'm not doing a serious call or when I'm just waiting for the next call to come in," Rossy said. "My partner and I, we throw on some Spanish music. We have like a sing along in the truck.”

Rossy has lived in Worcester since the age of three but she was born in Puerto Rico. She said talking with her Spanish-speaking mother fine tunes her bilingual skills which have proven to be useful when she’s caring for people.

“I've had multiple calls with my partner where for whatever reason, she always gets the Spanish-speaking patients, and she just gives me a look," Rossy said. "And we already know like, 'Yeah, I know, it's my cue.' So being able to speak Spanish helps out.”

While nearly a quarter of Worcester’s population is Hispanic, Rossy said sometimes first responder demographics don’t reflect those of the communities they serve and the Journal of Emergency Medical Services reports the need to grow the EMS workforce is critical. The journal found many underrepresented groups don’t enter the field because of a concern over lack of education or even gender bias.

“There's a shortage across the board," Rossy said. "I feel like maybe in the Hispanic sense, there should be more Hispanic EMTs or more Hispanics in the medical field or first responder field.”

And Rossy said she works to spread the word to local high school students about her career as an option and she encourages anyone interested in getting into the medical field to go for it.

“If you're Hispanic, or it doesn't even matter what race you are, what cultural background you come from, if you want to take the first step into the medical field, do it," Rossy said. "Because I did it with the Earn While You Learn program and I've never looked back. It's the best choice I could have ever made.”