You reached this page through the archive. Click here to return to the archive.

Note: This article is over a year old and information contained in it may no longer be accurate. Please use the contact information in the lower-left corner to verify any information in this article.

Student EMTs make a difference -- one call at a time

By Anna Stevens '10
March 19, 2008

StudentEMTs
St. Olaf's student EMTs are highly trained and respond to calls at all hours of the day and night.
It's 5:30 a.m., and most people at St. Olaf College are still soaking up the last few hours of sleep before their alarm clock starts the day. But for one St. Olaf student, the wake-up call comes early this morning. With a knock on the door, she turns from sleepy student to an alert and active emergency medical technician (EMT) who provides treatment to a custodian having a heart attack. After the ambulance arrives, it's time to get ready for class and a normal day on campus.

This student EMT did exactly what she was trained to do: provide medical care to a member of the St. Olaf campus community until the ambulance arrived. She received training as a member of the St. Olaf Emergency Medical Technicians (SOEMT), a volunteer service organization founded in 1996 that works closely with Public Safety to respond to campus emergencies.

St. Olaf is one of just three colleges in Minnesota that have such a program.

JuliaSmith08
Smith
"We are unique in that most colleges and universities do not have their own EMT responders," says SOEMT president Julia Smith '08. "St. Olaf has the advantage of having EMTs respond within a matter of minutes, usually before the ambulance arrives. We can conduct assessments, treat injuries and administer oxygen."

SOEMT, which has 21 members this year, also gives presentations in many of the first-year residence halls. They inform students about how to know when to call for help and generally raise awareness of the group's role on campus.

Always prepared
This year alone, SOEMT has been the first on the scene for more than 70 calls, responding to incidents ranging from cuts and scrapes to more serious emergencies. Although most calls concern minor injuries that do not require further medical care, Smith says there have been some interesting calls over the years. SOEMT patients have included Christmas Festival guests, professors, college regents and even a lead singer at one of the recent fall concerts.

StudentEMTEquipment
On-call student EMTs carry a bag of medical equipment, radio and pager with them at all times.
A typical night for an on-call St. Olaf EMT starts at 7 p.m., when the student signs out the SOEMT's bag of medical supplies, radio and pager. With tools in tow and pager in hand, the EMT goes about his or her normal schedule.

When a call comes in, the pager goes off and a message is left describing the location and nature of the call. Student EMTs are typically on the scene within two minutes of the call. After providing aid and deciding on transportation for the patient, a call report is filled out to keep on record. On-call hours are from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. each night, as well as 24-hour weekend days.

"Calls take place at any time, including 3 a.m., when we are fast asleep," Smith says. "For the most part, I don't think our roommates mind, and afterward we just go back to sleep. Sometimes it makes for a busy night, especially on the weekends."

On-campus certification
The student volunteers of SOEMT undergo extensive training to receive the basic EMT certification. All of the active EMTs are registered with both the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians, as well as the Minnesota Emergency Medical Services Regulatory Board. Certification requires 120 hours of classroom training, which includes 12 hours of hospital emergency room experience and ride-alongs in active ambulances.

SOEMT has the unique ability to offer certification classes right at St. Olaf, thanks to the help of instructor Mike Sanford and student CPR instructors Heidi Gusa '09 and Kay Pladson '09. Sixteen students are currently taking a training course on campus and will be certified EMTs by May.

"Student EMTs are able to utilize their training and also gain some amazing experience that will make them better doctors, nurses and even parents in the future," says student EMT Andy Crofton '09.

SOEMT partners with Queen of Peace Hospital of New Prague, which provides the student EMTs with beneficial medical direction. Emergency room physician Dr. Jason Becker agreed to serve as the St. Olaf EMT service medical director, offering his time and guidance to the growing SOEMT program. This arrangement has enabled the St. Olaf EMTs to not only become a more effective emergency response team, but also helps ensure the future of high-quality training and continuity of emergency medical care for faculty, staff, students and visitors at St. Olaf College.

Crofton says he has wanted to be a student EMT since he first arrived on campus, because he knew it would be beneficial for someone interested in medicine.

"I thought it would be a creative way to serve the St. Olaf community and further my education," he says. "It has turned out to be that and more."

Contact Kari VanDerVeen at 507-786-3970 or vanderve@stolaf.edu.