It was a chilly Tuesday night near the Levine Science Research Center, but most of the people present weren't paying attention to the weather. Instead, they ran around with stretchers, bandages, tape and other medical equipment amidst the noisy chaos of a mock multi-casualty explosion accident. The scene looked so real that one passerby stopped and asked, "Excuse me, is this an exercise?"
It may have been a drill, but Duke's student emergency medical technicians do not just play the game. Rather, the 27-member volunteer organization is on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week during the school year. The EMTs and Durham County's emergency medical services respond to all 911 calls on campus, but Duke's EMTs can call and cancel Durham EMS if they know they can handle the situation alone.
The EMTs take a semester-long class that meets twice a week for four hours followed by a state test for certification. After these in-class exercises, the once-a-semester drill is the only practice session for the new and veteran EMTs, so most take it seriously.
"The first thing these EMTs are going to encounter is chaos," sophomore Jared Miranda tells the "patients." "So once the dispatch comes out, start yelling."
And yell they did. David Strauss, a sophomore EMT who arrived first on the scene, automatically assumed the incident commander position and took charge of the situation. He said the overall drill went well because all patients were cared for and EMTs followed orders and used their resources. If the drill had been real, Strauss said, he'd be confident that he and his crew could handle the situation along with Durham EMS, police and fire crews.
"[The event] is going to be inherently chaotic, and optimally it's going to be organized," Strauss said. "I think we really learned a lot from this drill."
Forty minutes after the drill started, it was over. The blood could be wiped off with napkins, and the "casualties" got up to eat dinner. But real situations aren't so simple.
Duke EMS handles over 300 calls a year, ranging from seizures to alcohol-related incidents and athletic accidents. Members also cover men's and women's basketball games and other events when they are asked.
Once certified, each EMT is on call one night shift a week and one 24-hour shift every two to three weekends.
The large time commitment deters some people from joining. "I wanted to be an EMT, but decided to take my nights of sleep instead," said Monica Coelho, a senior who volunteered as a patient in Tuesday's drill.
The student leaders of the organization spend an additional 15 to 20 hours a week performing administrative duties. Director Marcia Wong, a senior, said the job is a rewarding leadership experience. She believes people become EMTs not just for future career reasons, but also because they can stay in control in difficult situations and effectively serve their community.
Wong said that often, students shy away from calling or simply do not know that the people helping them will be their peers.
"First of all, we're students responding to students," Wong said. "People really don't know that we exist.... I think we could be used a lot more."
Either way, the EMS crew is happy to have the opportunity that it does. Kristin Wong, a junior, said she was motivated by her plans to pursue a career in medicine.
"It also has allowed me to get involved in a volunteer campus activity," she said.
Tamara Pardo, a senior EMT, said she loves the adrenaline rush on the job, and added that her skills have proved useful off-campus as well. As a camp counselor this summer, one of her co-counselors, who had type I diabetes, lapsed into a seizure in the middle of the night. Fortunately, Pardo knew exactly how to handle the situation.
"Everything I did was instinct from practice and training," she said. "I love being the one who makes a difference."
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