College campuses can be fertile ground for injury and illness. From the close quarters and sometimes-dubious hygiene to the immoderate consumption and plain old recklessness of youth, students can find themselves in frequent need of emergency medical services.
That’s one of the reasons college EMS services are important. We celebrate those starting today with Collegiate EMS Week.
Modeled after the National EMS Week observed in May and similarly sponsored by the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP), Collegiate EMS Week is held the second week of each November to recognize and celebrate campus EMS. Like their counterparts in the community at large, college EMSers can also use the opportunity to highlight what they do and educate those who might need them—on campus or off.
“Colleges develop and train those that will serve as future leaders both within the healthcare community and community at large,” notes the National Collegiate EMS Foundation. “NCEMSF encourages you to develop activities that not only reach out to your campus community, but also include your campus’ greater community.”
To help college squads celebrate, NCEMSF offers a free downloadable EMS week packet. It includes information ranging from press releases and handouts services can use to ideas for EMS Week activities and tips for communicating effectively.
Collegiate EMS Week begins each year with a National Collegiate CPR Day, intended for teaching CPR to as many college students as possible. NCEMSF suggests activities like holding classes or educational meetings or even just setting up public information tables where people can pick up literature or try CPR on a manikin. It also offers a CPR Day resource packet for free download.
SOURCE: EMS World, National Collegiate EMS Foundation