Brandeis Emergency Medical Corps (BEMCo)

The Brandeis Emergency Medical Corps (BEMCo) is the student-run volunteer emergency medical service organization for Brandeis University. BEMCo comprises approximately 80 members (50 active), all of whom are both Brandeis University undergraduate students and state-certified Massachusetts Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs). As of December 2007, BEMCo has responded to more than 6,100 medical emergencies and averages approximately 300 calls/year. BEMCo is a member of the National Collegiate EMS Foundation (NCEMSF) and sends a delegation to the annual NCEMSF conference. Every spring, BEMCo offers an EMT training course on the Brandeis campus which trains about 30 new EMTs each year.

Founding & History
The organization was established in 1983 by then undergraduate Jim Meisel, MD. From 1983 until May 2008, BEMCo has had more than 600 members, all of whom have served the Brandeis University community with tremendous pride and professionalism.

Originally, BEMCo was a fly-car (quick response vehicle) service, only capable of basic treatment and non-emergent transport. However, after years of work, BEMCo was upgraded to a Massachusetts Certified Class V Ambulance in 2006. With this certification, BEMCo is able to carry life-saving drugs, such as albuterol, aspirin and epinephrine, thus providing an even greater level of care to the Brandeis University campus.

For its outstanding service record, BEMCo was recognized with the “Striving for Excellence” award at the 2007 National Collegiate EMS Conference.

In October 2007, BEMCo responded to its 6,000th emergency medical call.

In March 2008, BEMCo held its 25th Anniversary Gala, complete with a slide show and a movie.

Organizational Structure
BEMCo and its organizational structure follow the provisions of BEMCo’s constitution. Charged with maintaining BEMCo’s high level of service to the Brandeis community, the six elected members of BEMCo’s Executive Board (E-Board) are responsible for organizational oversight, personnel management and day-to-day operations. The BEMCo E-Board is elected to one-year terms and consists of a Director, Director of Operations, Administrator, Treasurer, Training Officer, and Secretary. Additionally, a Webmaster, Scheduling Officer and Promotions Officer are appointed to 1-year terms by the E-Board.

E-Board meetings are held on a regular (often weekly) basis, while mandatory meetings of the entire BEMCo general membership occur monthly.

BEMCo receives all of its funding from Brandeis' Student Activities Fee (SAF) and is one of seven "Secured" groups which receives a guaranteed minimum amount of the annual fund.

BEMCo's Services
BEMCo responds to all medical emergencies on Brandeis University property including the residence halls, academic buildings and athletic facilities. BEMCo provides coverage 24 hours/day, 7 days/week throughout the year except when residence halls are closed, such as Christmas break.

Each on-duty BEMCo member carried a pager and a radio. When a caller dials either 9-1-1 or x63333 from an on-campus land-line phone (or (781)-736-3333 from any phone), the call is diverted to the Brandeis University Public Safety emergency dispatcher, who pages the entire on-duty BEMCo crew to respond. Typical response times are under 3 minutes.

Duty Crews
Duty crews are on call for 24-hour shifts, during which time they must remain within a short distance from the Brandeis University campus. The standard on-duty crew comprises four EMTs: Primary, Secondary, Tertiary, and Supervisor.

The Primary is a member who has had extensive off campus experience either with a volunteer or paid ambulance service. S/he is considered the crew chief, and drives to all calls in the 'BEMCo Truck' (see below).

The Secondary has had extensive training and is familiar with all BEMCo protocols. Should a second (simultaneous) call arise, the Secondary will break off from the first call to respond to the second call with the Supervisor.

The Tertiary is a new member who participates fully until he/she is ready for promotion to Secondary. Both the Secondary and Tertiary respond to the scene via foot, personal vehicle, or campus police cruiser (if available).

A Supervisor is always on duty to respond to simultaneous calls (with the Secondary), as well as any call of a serious nature. Supervisors are Primaries with extensive on and off campus experience and are trained to handle crisis situations. Two Supervisors are appointed to one-year terms after approval from the Brandeis University Medical Director. The 2008-2009 BEMCo Clinical Supervisors are Daniel Litwok '10 and Levana Goldberg '09.

Emergency Response Vehicles
As its primary emergency medical response vehicle, BEMCo operates a 2002 Ford Expedition equipped with full emergency vehicle lighting. The BEMCo Truck carries basic life support (BLS) equipment in accordance with the regulations outlined for Class V ambulance in the state of Massachusetts. This includes, but is not limited to: spinal immobilization devices, electric suction, splinting devices, burn kits, extrication equipment, obstetrics supplies, oxygen, defibrillators, albuterol, aspirin and epinephrine. The BEMCo Truck is able to transport patients with non-emergent injuries and/or illnesses, such as ankle sprains and minor lacerations. If a patient requires additional assistance due to a more serious condition, such as active bleeding or possible cervical spine injury, BEMCo will dispatch an ambulance from an outside agency for transport to a local hospital or trauma center.

BEMCo also maintains a second response vehicle, a 2006 Ford Taurus. Equipped with graphics, strobe lights, an air horn, and multiple bags of EMS supplies, the Taurus is used by the on-duty BEMCo Supervisor to allow for quicker responses and the availability of additional resources to the Brandeis campus in case of an emergency. Even though it does not transport patients, the BEMCo Supervisor vehicle has been of particular importance in responding to simultaneous calls.

Special Events
Additionally, BEMCo is responsible for providing emergency medical coverage during events on campus, which could bring anywhere between fifty to thousands of visitors. For these events, BEMCo staffs a standby crew at the event in addition to the 4 on-duty EMTs who move throughout campus. Typically, these events include rugby games, dodge-ball tournaments, university-sponsored events and dances which serve alcohol, and graduation. Recently, these events have included visits from former US Presidents Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton.