The Colby Echo

Issue date: 10/19/07 Section: Features

Media Credit: Rob Kievit Members of the Colby Emergency Response Team review how to respond to respiratory emergencies.

Media Credit: Rob Kievit Students practice using a bag valve mask on a dummy patient.

Colby Emergency Response, more commonly know as CER, is a student -organized and run club which provides the campus with a 24-hour on-call team of trained Emergency Medical Technicians. All members are volunteers and so far this year the roster includes over 40 people. Each active member must have passed the Emergency Medical Technician certification exam and is trained to deal with countless medical situations, from basic first aid to the use of an automatic defibrillator.

Members are scheduled to serve a couple of shifts every month. While on duty for these 24-hour shifts, students go about their normal day but carry a medical pack and radio with them. In the event that someone calls either Security or the emergency line, campus extension 5911, the dispatcher will contact the CER members on duty and Security officers who then respond to the scene. The CER members carry with them a pack that contains basic first aid supplies and limited medication while the Security vehicles transport the rest of the equipment that may be needed at the scene, including larger supplies such as splints and oxygen machines.

At any given time, seven days a week, there are either two or three members of CER on duty. At least one of these members is a Rescue 1, R1 for short: someone who has had more experience than newer members, called Rescue 2s, and has proven himself able to deal with a variety of medical situations. When a call for CER comes in, both on-duty members respond, with the R1 making the final decision about the patient's care and the R2 helping with whatever needs to be done. Due to an increase in emergency calls this year, the on-duty R1 now rides in the Security vehicle from 11:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m. on Friday and Saturday nights.

According to both the club's officers and Director of Security Pete Chenevert, the relationship between the two groups is excellent. "The officers know the CER folks," Pete said, adding that "everybody who works or volunteers is very reliable." According to Rebecca Kamins '09, the club's president, CER's relationship with Security as a whole is "fantastic." She said that Assistant Director of Security Jeff Coombs, an EMT himself, "really took [the club] under his wing."

Jim Woodlee, physician assistant in the health center and the club's advisor, said that CER is a great asset on campus, especially in the health center where they are able to help nurses provide medical care to injured or ill students. While the club is under the guidance of the Health Center, it is in fact a very independent and internally run group.

In addition to being an active R1, Kamins also has the responsibility of making sure that the whole club runs smoothly by helping other officers with their duties and communicating with the administration. Matt Stein '08 is the rescue chief and is responsible for everything that has to do with the actual calls to which members respond.

Both Kamins and Stein shared a common message about the club: don't be afraid to call. Contrary to campus rumor, CER is not going to get students into trouble. While Security does accompany CER to all of their calls, they are more or less there to help control the scene, not to punish the person who needs help. "The officers are pretty hands-off," Kamins said. "You're being responsible by calling us and I think they respect that."

While it is possible that a student will need to go to the hospital after being evaluated by CER, this is by no means a desired outcome. "Probably my least favorite thing is having to bring people to the hospital," Stein insisted, while Kamins added that CER "gives students a chance to just go to the Health Center" rather than calling an ambulance immediately.

The thing to remember about CER is that everyone involved with the organization is a student. "We don't want to get our friends in trouble," Stein said. That's not what CER is about. CER provides a way for students to get the medical attention they need without necessarily having to be treated off-campus. By its unwavering commitment to students and safety, CER has become one of the school's most effective and valuable resources.

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