The Brandeis Emergency Medical Corps (BEMCo) is a completely student-run volunteer group dedicated to emergency medical services on campus. Michele Etzbach ’20, an HSSP major, joined BEMCo this fall semester during their new member orientation, after training last spring to be certified as an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT). `

During BEMCo’s orientation, new members receive specific training for the Corps. The orientation is an only weekend long because all BEMCo members have to be Massachusetts-certified EMT’s before joining. Etzbach explained that a lot of students choose to take EMT training separately from Brandeis’ program, then officially join BEMCo.

BEMCo has about 50 active members, most of whom are at the tertiary level, which according to BEMCo’s website, refers to a new member who participates fully until being promoted to the secondary level.

Students are trained as a BLS-EMT, which stands for a Basic Life Support EMT. The majority of ambulance trucks are run by two BLS-EMTs, according to Etzbach, who explained that she hopes to work in an ambulance over the summer. “We’re completely certified to handle whatever sort of incident a normal ambulance would get, but we’re not paramedics.” In a case where a paramedic, a more advanced provider of emergency medical care, is needed, BEMCo does all they can before calling for their assistance.

BEMCo members are consistently updated on emergency procedures. For example, after the bomb threat that occurred during this year’s orientation, BEMCo had a meeting to update and go over procedures, so they are impacted by what happens on campus.

BEMCo members are prepared for a multitude of situations. While 20 percent of calls are due to intoxication, Etzbach mentioned that “It’s not the only thing we do,” and that they have trained for a lot of different medical emergencies such as students with serious allergies who need help, students with intense migraines who may not be able to get back to their rooms safely, or injuries caused by someone slipping on ice, for example.

Etzbach hopes to go to nursing school after graduation and is taking medical classes outside of Brandeis to build up her transcript, although she is not receiving credit for them. She is also involved with club volleyball and is a member of LACE (Language and Cultural Enrichment) within Waltham Group, which connects Brandeis students with children who have recently immigrated to the United States, providing the new Waltham residents with English language help and playing games with them.

Despite her busy schedule, Etzbach explained that BEMCo can be a low-time commitment once members are EMT certified because they can take as little as one shift a month or even one shift a semester. “It’s really good for any sort of medical career you want to go into, having EMT experience always looks good.”

Etzbach told The Hoot that the reason she was drawn to EMT work and “helping people in the worst day of their lives,” because having to call for emergency medical services can be a traumatic experience.

She has worked only two shifts so far and says that she is “really excited about it.” She explained that there’s a bit of anxiety in waiting for a call, and not knowing what to anticipate during the 24-hour shifts where she is on-call. “Going to bed at night and not knowing if I’m going to wake up to my alarm or my pager is kind of stressful,” in addition to the potential of being pulled out of class to help a student.

Shifts are pretty flexible among students, and Etzbach explained that active students can arrange their shifts so they are not on call if they have to take a midterm in class, for example. There is always a team of four BEMCo members on call at all times: a supervisor, a primary, a secondary and a tertiary member. Going up from the tertiary level, each student has more experience and training with medical emergency situations within BEMCo. Etzbach mentioned that higher positions require more shifts and that she hopes to take the exam to become a Secondary member in the near future.

“I think BEMCo is really special because it is only for Brandeis, and we respond faster than any other ambulance company,” she said. BEMCo is also more intimately knowledgeable of the campus and the various buildings, and all BEMCo members memorize the building codes so they can arrive to help students as fast as possible.

“It’s very community oriented, and I really feel like I know the people that I’m treating and know where they’re coming from, more so than if I worked in an ambulance for the greater Boston area.” Etzbach said of the program. BEMCo members are highly trained and professional, student passionate and ready to serve their community.