Duke EMS is now better equipped to be the hero Duke students deserve.
The watchful protectors on the student-staffed EMS team started the academic year behind the wheel of a brand new automobile. The brightly emblazoned red and white police interceptor model of the 2013 Ford Explorer offers better safety and reliability than the aging SUV they used previously, along with 360-degree lighting and special scene lighting for use in the field.
The former EMS car, a 2004 Chevy Trailblazer, served the unit for almost 10 years, said senior Jay Srinivasan, director of operations for Duke Emergency Medical Services. Recently, though, its ongoing maintenance needs had started getting in the way of the EMS mission.
“We had times when we’ve been dispatched to calls and the old vehicle just didn’t start, and when that happens we can’t fulfill our role as first responders for Durham County, and we had to send the county and the fire department,” Srinivasan said. “[The new car] is now more in line with what the modern emergency vehicle is meant to look like and meant to operate as.”
Sasha McEwan, Trinity ’13 and the previous director of operations for Duke EMS, started talks last year with Duke Police—which oversees funding for the organization—about getting a new vehicle.
DUPD purchased the car last semester, and the car finished getting outfitted over the summer, Srinivasan said.
The upgrade had been eagerly anticipated by the staff.
“I was on shift when we got it, and to see the glee in Jay’s eyes, that was the best part of it,” said junior Rebecca Spicehandler, an EMS cadet.
The car comes with four-wheel drive, a camera for reversing that shows up on the rearview mirror and a more convenient placing for the lights and siren controls. In the previous vehicle, the driver used to have to have to lean down to flip the switches, Srinivasan said, but now they are located comfortably within reach on the console between the front seats.
Assistant EMS Director Nathaniel Harris, a fifth-year political science Ph.D. candidate, said the driving experience is more enjoyable—better handling, smoother gear shifts—but the key is its reliability as the sole vehicle for the EMS team that operates 24/7 during the school year.
“It’s definitely a safer vehicle, it’s more reliable, and I think it helps us keep in service, which is really what we are concerned about,” he said.
The design of the car also makes it easier for other drivers to spot.
“The decals are all reflective, which makes for higher visibility on the road,” Srinivasan said. “Being seen on a scene is actually really important, especially when you’re on a call late at night.”
The vehicle’s new design can help with a different sort of visibility, too, Spicehandler said.
“We’re pretty low-key and a lot of people don’t know we’re students,” she said. “When people see Duke EMS posted on the side of the vehicle it gives our organization more visibility on campus.”
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