REMS To The Rescue

REMS TO THE RESCUE

Volunteers Donate Much Time, Effort to Staff 24-Hour
Rice Emergency Program
BY LISA NUTTING
Rice News Staff
Feb. 25, 1999

Visitor attending a wedding reception at the Cohen
House collapsed from cardiac arrest. Another visitor
enjoying a retirement social on campus suffered a heart
attack. In both instances, Rice Emergency Medical Services
(REMS) volunteers were on the scene within minutes–and
both victims were "saves" and have since
fully recovered.

REMS’ quick response time–which currently averages
2:07 minutes–may have made the difference between
life and death, said Mark Escott ’96, director of REMS.
"In those situations, timing is everything,"
he added.

After four years of research and planning, REMS came
to fruition on Oct. 4, 1996. The program is the brainchild
of Escott, as he persevered in gaining insurance and
administrative and budget approval. Though he did not
see REMS come unto its own while a student, he has
volunteered as the program’s director since its beginnings
and was hired to run the program full time in August
1998.

REMS is volunteer-run, enlisting the help of 23 student,
four staff and three police officer Emergency Medical
Technicians (EMT). A supervisor and two EMTs are on
duty at all times. Most EMT volunteers serve one or
two eight-hour shifts per week, while three supervisors
rotate shifts. An EMT volunteer is also on duty in
each college to respond to in-house emergencies.

As a freshman in 1991-92, Escott began looking into
bringing an EMS program to Rice. Escott and his brother
Mike Escott ’98 were volunteers for the Cypress Creek
EMS at the time.

"We saw how effective it was and thought we
could provide the same or similar service to Rice University,"
he said.

Escott first met with Rice administrators to discuss
the possibility of beginning such an EMS program. He
recalled that administrators initially were reluctant
to delve into such a project because the medical center
is nearby and because of possible liability problems.

Escott next asked Rice University Police Department
(RUPD) Chief Mary Voswinkel to gather statistics from
police records on the number of medical emergencies
at Rice as well as the average response time of fire
department personnel.

The statistics for 1992-93 proved daunting. Campus
emergency calls averaged 150-200 per year, and response
time from the outside agencies averaged nine to 10
minutes. A couple of calls even took 15-20 minutes,
Escott recalled.

"If anything serious is going on, that’s far
too late," he said.

During the research phase, Escott recalled, a professor
died of a heart attack on campus.

"That was extremely frustrating for us because
we were trying to get the EMS program [accepted],"
he said.

Escott continued his homework. He researched other
universities throughout the country and found that
more than 150 campuses had EMS programs in place. He
gathered examples about other university programs and
their successes and made a list of contacts.

Above, Mark Escott, director of REMS, instructs the
Emergency Medical Technician-Basic class.

After presenting the data to Zenaido Camacho, vice
president for Student Affairs, Escott got the go-ahead
to start up REMS.

"Zen [Camacho] was very instrumental in getting
the program off the ground," Escott added.

With help from Noah Reiter, a Jones College junior,
and numerous other contributors, proposals were finalized
and budgets were developed for the program. Getting
approved for liability insurance caused a snag that
held the operation up for one year.

After all of the details were ironed out, REMS began
operation in the spring of 1996 with the first Emergency
Medical Technician (EMT) program, which trained 22
Rice students as Texas Department of Health EMT-Basics.
From that class, 18 EMTs were available to staff the
program when it began that fall.

In its first year of operation, 1996-97, REMS was
funded through Student Affairs. The next year, REMS
became a division of RUPD, which now provides funding.

"It’s been a very good relationship between
the two departments," Escott said, noting that
the REMS volunteers take some burden off of Rice police
officers.

In 1996, RUPD donated one of its older police vehicles
to REMS to be used by the REMS supervisor on duty.
In August of 1997, REMS received funding for a new
Ford Explorer, also for use by the supervisors. The
EMT volunteers respond to emergencies via bicycle or
on foot.

During its first year of operation, REMS treated
more than 250 patients on campus. The second EMT course
was held during the 1997 spring semester, training
an additional 16 Rice students and two Rice staff members.

In its second year of operation, REMS treated over
270 patients. A third EMT course was held in the spring
1998 semester, during which 19 students and one staff
member were trained. This course was offered as HPER
498, and students enrolling now earn three hours of
Rice University credit.

Participants study equipment during an REMS training
course. Pictured, from left, are: Greg Beaves, Rice
police officer, Jonathan Wilks, Brian Batchelor and
Mark Escott, director of REMS and course lecturer.

Now in its third year of operation, REMS has treated
more than 700 patients since its inception. This semester,
REMS has expanded its education program, offering an
Emergency Medical Technician–Basic class (of which
Escott is the lecturer), which is training 18 students
and two staff members, and an Emergency Medical Technician–Intermediate
class, which has enrolled nine of the current REMS
members.

Students in the introductory EMT class must complete
48 hours in an ambulance and 24 hours in an emergency
room, in addition to eight hours of classroom instruction
each week. Students in the intermediate class must
complete 48 hours in the emergency room, 12 hours in
the operating room, eight hours in an intensive care
unit (ICU), and 72 hours on an ambulance, also in addition
to eight hours in the classroom each week. Once certified,
REMS volunteers must volunteer for two shifts with
an outside emergency service each month. This experience
provides volunteers with a variety of experiences,
which they might not encounter often at Rice, Escott
said.

In September 1997, REMS received funding to purchase
a defibrillator, providing volunteers with a lifesaving
tool.

"CPR doesn’t bring people back, but it prolongs
viability," Escott said. "The defibrillator
shocks the heart back into rhythm."

Obtaining the defibrillator was essential, Escott
said, because after six minutes without oxygen, brain
death can occur. Within 10-12 minutes, the person is
gone.

This year, the REMS programs has expanded its services
to provide medical standby operations for university
special events as well as varsity football and basketball
games.

REMS members are also providing CPR and first aid
courses on a regular basis at Rice as well as in inner-city
Houston.

As there is a big demand for spots in the REMS program–last
year Escott received 75 applicants for 19 openings
in the course–Escott encourages those interested to
apply early.

"We’ve been very happy so many students have
been interested in the program," Escott said.
"Even if [after leaving Rice] they don’t choose
to work another day in EMS, they have the background
to possibly save someone’s life."

For more information about the REMS program call
(713) 737-5785.

When a serious emergency situation arises on campus,
please call (713) 527-6000 or extension 6000 from campus
phones.