Rogers team member, volunteer firefighter celebrated as Milwaukee Brewers Hometown Champion
Working at a behavioral health not-for-profit, teaching at a technical college, and volunteering as a firefighter and AEMT, Kelly Keller devotes much of her time to serving the public. Still, she says she’d prefer to stay out of the public eye – making her latest milestone a little nerve-wracking.
“Awards can be tough for me,” says Kelly, insurance follow-up specialist with Rogers. “I don’t do this for the recognition.”
Her latest recognition is a major one, chosen as a Milwaukee Brewers Hometown Champion, a program honoring Wisconsin first responders for their commitment and dedication to their communities.
“Being an EMT and helping people in their time of need – there’s not anything like it,” Kelly says. “Suddenly, whatever you’re doing in your life doesn’t seem so important when somebody else needs you.”
As a captain of the Iron Ridge Fire Department for the past 14 years, Kelly also works part-time for Therese EMS and serves as the President of the Dodge County Firefighters Association and Vice President of Dodge County EMS Association, all while teaching fire and EMS classes as an adjunct instructor at Moraine Park Technical College. She also was deployed to South Carolina in 2018 to help in the wake of Hurricane Florence.
“I grew up in a firefighter family,” Kelly says. “My grandpa was Fire Chief of the local fire department growing up. My stepdad was a firefighter. My uncle was a firefighter. As soon as I turned 18, I knew I wanted to give back, too.”
While Kelly no longer works full-time in emergency services, she says she couldn’t totally give it up.
“I still really enjoy what I do,” she says. “I don’t think you can just walk away from it.”
As Kelly is recognized for her service, she wants others to recognize the impact volunteer first responders have in their communities across the state. She notes that emergency services such as ambulances are not considered essential in Wisconsin, resulting in a lack of funding, especially in small municipalities, and a need for volunteers with the same qualifications as a full-time worker to step up. Without volunteers, Kelly says, some communities would not have anyone to respond when you call 911.
“Being a firefighter, they call you when they don’t know who else to call,” Kelly says. “In this little town, we’ve had so many chaotic calls where you may not have the answer, but you have to figure it out really quickly, because no one else is coming.”
Not much can throw Kelly, but Kelly’s Hometown Champion honor did come with the opportunity to throw the first pitch – something she says is out of her usual wheelhouse.
“I’m not very coordinated, so I’m a little worried,” Kelly said before the game. “I’ve been practicing, though.”
She successfully threw the first pitch June 24, when the Brewers beat the Pittsburg Pirates 9-3.
“I’m not sure a person can truly describe throwing out the first pitch in front of 30,000 fans at a Brewers game,” Kelly says. “I chose to help people, hoping that the work I do matters to someone. Getting recognized like this is a cool experience, but still so surreal.”
Kelly says she’s a Brewers fan, watching games when her busy schedule allows.
