SUA Services | Overview | Mutual Aid |
MTS | Special Events | MCI Preparedness |
Self-Dispatch | Training Programs | SUA Recognition
Services provided to the SU & SUNY ESF Campuses:
- 24-Hour Emergency Ambulance Response & Transport
- 24-Hour Non-Emergency Medical Transport
- Daytime and Evening Staffed Event Standbys
- Mass-Casualty Incident Response
- Community CPR and First Aid Classes
- 24-Hour Student Self-Dispatching
- Interactive training programs for new and active members
Above notations are availiable during the academic school year.
Limited services availiable during holidays & summer.
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Overview of SUA
Syracuse University Ambulance (SUA) is a S.U. Health Services-based, student operated organization that responds to more than 1,500 emergencies a year, providing basic life support, transport, rapid cardiac defibrillation, as well as non-emergency transportation. SUA current operates two full-time BLS Ambulances, our newest of which was purchased in August, 2003. In addition, SUA operates two non-emergency transport vans, as well as a BLS fly-car. SUA provides emergency and non-emergency services 24 hours a day, 7 days a week during the academic school year. Being funded from student health services fees and student government associations, there is no out-of-pocket expense for registered SU and SUNY ESF students and faculty.
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Relationships with surrounding organizations:
S.U. Ambulance services are available for all resident students, faculty, staff, and visitors of the SU and ESF campuses. SUA also provides ambulance service for the immediate off campus locations surrounding SU. In the event of a large scale mass casualty incident, SUA has contracted various agencies to assist with mutual aid for large call volumes. Currently, SUA is involved in inter-agency training, and is in constant contact with other local ambulance organizations, fire departments, police and public safety agencies.
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Medical Transport Service:
Students who are in need of temporary or long-term non-emergency transport due to illness or injury may utilize SU's non-emergency medical transport service (MTS). Utilizing two ambulette vans, one of which is equipped with a handicap accessible lift, MTS provides students with free transport to local area doctors and hospitals for appointments, transportation to pharmacies for prescription pick-ups, as well as transportation to and from student's residences and classes. As one of few universities in the country with these opportunities, we transport over 700 students per year through this non-emergency transportation service.
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Special Events:
Special event standby services are provided by request for major campus events. SU Ambulance crews are contracted for all major Carrier Dome Sports Stadium events including, Syracuse University Basketball, Football, Lacrosse and other sporting events with attendance exceeding 56,000 spectators. SUA is also on standby for many local high school sporting events held on the SU campus as well as various other major school functions.
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SUA's preparedness in case of a Mass Casualty Incident:
SUA's Mass Casualty Incident trailer is one of the most highly regarded aspects of the agency. SUA is currently one of two agencies out of twenty-three agencies within Onondaga County to have MCI response capabilities. Put into service in 1999, SUA's trailer is outfitted with equipment designed to respond to mutual aid for large or small scale multiple patient catastrophes. Within this trailer there are over 30 backboard setups, MCI tagging equipment, ALS medical support equipment for local ALS agencies, BLS medical support bags/boxes, a backup generator, scene lights, portable oxygen setups for over 30 people and scene organizational equipment.
As a result of SUA's MCI capabilities and equipment, SU Ambulance in conjunction with Onondaga County Fire/EMS/and Police agencies, conducts numerous MCI training programs in an effort to increase large-scale training readiness. These training programs familiarize the agencies and individuals with incident command, usage of equipment, treatment of patients, etc. during large scale MCI's. Working with local area hospitals, large size simulation programs are conducted at Hancock International Airport, the Syracuse Regional Transportation Center, the Carousel Mall Complex, and other strategic training locations.
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SUA Dispatching:
SUA is a self-dispatched agency; paid student emergency dispatchers work in our state of the art dispatch center twenty-four hours a day, where calls to our university emergency lines are handled and immediately dispatched/relayed to on-duty ambulance crews. Our dispatchers also take calls, and dispatch calls to our medical transport service. Our phone systems are setup to have direct phone links to SU Public Safety and the city ALS EMS provider, Rural/Metro Medical Services. Our base radio-dispatching console allows us to communicate with SUA vehicles, notify crews in quarters of emergency runs, and connect our ambulances to the on-duty SU Health Services Residential Nurse. If there is a situation where crews or members are not in quarters to staff an ambulance, or if additional ambulances are needed, our radio dispatch system includes a backup paging system. This backup system utilizes Motorola Minitor-2, Keynote backup radio pagers and a MetroCall Wireless alpha-numeric self-designed paging system.
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SUA Training Programs:
Ninety-nine percent of SUA's training programs occur on the SU campus. Most of the SUA staff members are trained in first aid, CPR, Hazardous Materials Identification/Communication (HAZCOM), Blood-born pathogen Identification/Communication, BLS/ALS assistance programs, Scene Safety awareness programs, HIPAA training and Emergency Medical Technician training (Basic Level). Students attain this training and instruction from a variety of certified university employees and special guest instructors from local EMS/Fire/Police agencies. A number of SUA staff members have also recently completed training as American Red Heart BLS CPR Instructors.
SUA and SU Health Services provide CPR and First Aid classes to SU Health Services staff, University Professors, Resident Advisors and Directors, university organizations and groups. Many SUA members have taken his or her own time to become certified by the American Heart Association as BLS CPR Instructors. SUA also participates in environmental health programs, fire-safety and alcohol awareness programs.
In order to provide the highest level to training, SUA has developed a training program developed to train both EMT's and non-EMT's about our organization. New members are put through an attendant and progression-status program that introduces them to ambulance equipment and their usage, operations, patient care, ambulance driving, interagency communication, and on-scene involvement.
Students go through a rigorous training program starting as Attendants (AT), where most of the introduction is done. After displaying proficiency with requirements, the AT may move up to driver progression status and become acquainted with driving and operating the ambulance, or if an EMT, become a crew chief progression involved with the running of an ambulance call. After proficiency is shown in responding and transporting to local university locations and hospitals students may become cleared drivers. After the completion of EMT training, the member is eligible for Crew Chief (CC) progression status. During this training process, students can apply EMT training and agency protocol to patient care. Once a comfort level is reached and trainers and the member are satisfied at their level of knowledge, the student may become a cleared crew chief.
The training program is developed and overseen during the year by our appointed Field Supervisor of Training. This person is responsible for the organization's training programs as well as developing and putting into effect training protocols for members to follow. All training of progressions is done under the supervision of four Field Supervisors and cleared agency trainers in both the driver and crew chief areas. These individuals work one-on-one with progressions to make sure they are learning the right skills to becoming a cleared DR or CC. Volunteers are divided into companies; each Field Supervisor is responsible for one company and its members. This allows company/field supervisors have close interaction with their members and are able to keep tabs on the progress, to make sure all students are up to date with trainings and skill evaluations.
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SUA Recognition:
In addition to our recent 30th anniversary, SUA has been acknowledged for a monumental life saving call during the 2002-2003 academic school year. While at a SU basketball stand-by, 3 SUA members were called upon to come to the aid of an unconscious man who they ultimately discovered was in cardiac arrest. Thinking quickly, SUA members applied and utilized an AED and restarted the man's heartbeat with a series of shocks. SU Carrier Dome Medical Staff and Rural/Metro Paramedics later attended to the man. The patient was transported by SUA to a local area hospital, treated, and released.
During the 2004-2005 school year, SUA has been honored as the New York State, EMS Agency of the Year Award. Awarded by the New York State EMS Council, SUA was chosen to receive this honor out of 1,127 different EMS agencies state-wide. "The award to the Syracuse University Ambulance Service is particularly impressive because it is a busy volunteer, student-operated service whose level of quality has been recognized as exemplary, first by the Regional EMS Council locally and now by an EMS committee representing the entire state," says Edward G. Wronski, director of the New York State Department of Health's Bureau of Emergency Medical Services. The current members of SUA would like to thank past generations for setting a precedence of excellence and foundation for the learning and future teaching of our members.
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