Student-Run UDayton EMS Agency Wins Two Honors

The National Collegiate Emergency Medical Services Foundation has awarded the student-run University of Dayton Emergency Medical Services agency two honors. Specifically, the Foundation promoted UDayton EMS to the silver level of its "EMS Ready Campus" program and recertified the university as a "HEARTSafe Campus." The student-run agency is already a three-time recipient of the collegiate EMS Organization of the Year award from the Foundation.

Founded in 1992, UDayton EMS is a completely volunteer, student-run agency. Operating out of a house on the university campus in Dayton, Ohio, it provides free prehospital care and transport for mental health, traumatic injuries, and medical emergencies around the clock during the academic year. The agency initially operated only on weekends before expanding to 24-hour service, eventually transitioning from its original name, the UD Rescue Squad, to its current title in 2016. UDayton EMS now runs a single Type III ambulance staffed around the clock by a three-person crew. The agency's services are entirely free for patients, with zero billing. Funding comes directly from the university's budget and donations from alumni.

All members of UDayton EMS are certified as EMTs at the state and national levels. The students receive ongoing education at local hospitals and take part in campus training sessions focused on prehospital challenges. Their primary EMT Basic instruction is sponsored by the university's Department of Public Safety and taught by Jeff Bruggemann, a deputy chief with the Xenia Fire Department. UDayton EMS works under the medical direction of Dr. Greg Kohls from Premier Health.

In addition to responding to calls routed through the campus dispatch center, UDayton EMS EMTs provide medical standby coverage at various events. These include university soccer and volleyball games, campus 5K fundraisers, and the Winter Guard International competition at the local arena.

Joseph Kern recently completed a one-year term as the chief of UDayton EMS. According to Kern, the agency’s motto of “Students helping students” is the primary motivation for team members. "It's a really cool opportunity to come in as volunteers and receive this education as a scholarship from the Department of Public Safety to help keep our community healthy and safe," he told EMS World.

The Foundation’s "EMS Ready Campus" silver designation is awarded to organizations that demonstrate advanced preparedness. Requirements include responder and leadership training, documented campus-alert procedures, and integrated emergency operations planning.

"Essentially, we're building off prior advancements in emergency readiness for the university and the broader community," Kern said. "While we are primarily preparing for major disaster scenarios, this also helps us with day-to-day operations. It allows us to identify daily obstacles or weaknesses in certain campus buildings, even on routine calls."

The "HEARTSafe Campus" recertification recognizes the University of Dayton for creating a rapid response program to sudden cardiac arrests. This involves providing public access to automated external defibrillators (AEDs) and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), engaging in preventive cardiovascular health education, and training first responders to assist with cardiac arrests.

"CPR is one of the first links in the chain of survival for prehospital cardiac arrest care," Kern explained. "Having a more educated society that knows how to provide CPR during an emergency is critical to helping first responders nationwide." He added that this training helps overcome the hesitation many people experience during a medical crisis. "Many people are scared to use AEDs simply because they don't understand how to deploy them, even with the instructions printed right on the device. They're afraid of making the situation worse or facing legal repercussions, despite the Good Samaritan Law and other legislation designed to protect them."

To spread this knowledge, UDayton EMS hosts CPR classes for the university community and external groups. This includes students from local middle schools and the Dayton Early College Academy.

Following their recent awards, UDayton EMS is looking toward further achievements. These include achieving the gold tier of the "EMS Ready Campus" program, which Kern estimates as a one-to-two-year project, acquiring a larger gurney to make moving patients easier, and working with UDayton’s Public Safety Department to streamline operational issues, such as navigating busy elevators inside large campus buildings.

For Kern, being a student EMT is ultimately about helping people when they are most vulnerable. "When people call public safety, it's often one of the worst days of their lives," he told EMS World. "Having the opportunity to be there for that person—even if we aren't definitively solving their medical problem—is incredibly meaningful. We can keep them calm, make them comfortable, and give them the reassurance that we are going to take excellent care of them and get them to the right people for help.

"It is a lot of work, but I love doing it," Kern concluded. "When people call, I'm always happy to respond."