RIT Ambulance Corps Hosts National Collegiate EMS Conference, Feb. 9-11

Nearly 400 emergency medical services personnel serving U.S. colleges and universities will converge at Rochester Institute of Technology Feb. 9–11 for the eighth annual National Emergency Collegiate Medical Services Foundation (NCEMSF) conference.

Throughout the conference, Today's Issues in Collegiate EMS, emergency medical personnel will learn about the latest professional and medical information relating to EMS issues on college campuses across the country. The highlight of the conference—a presentation and demonstration of flight medicine by Mercy Flight Central—includes a helicopter landing on campus Feb. 11.

The keynote address, "Legal Issues in EMS," an interactive presentation covering legal issues facing EMS professionals today, includes a mock trial of a paramedic. Other sessions include The Past, Present and Future of Airmedical Transportation, Critical Incident Stress Management, Psychological Aspects of EMS, and Quality EMS: How to Improve Our Customer Service.

NCEMSF supports and advocates EMS development on campuses around the nation. Previous conferences have been held at Pennsylvania State University, Rice University and the University of Delaware. The foundation includes more than 150 colleges and universities.

RIT Ambulance is a student-run organization and is part of RIT’s Student Health Center. More than 60 student volunteers provide emergency medical services for the campus and surrounding areas of the Town of Henrietta, in conjunction with the Henrietta Volunteer Ambulance. Students develop training programs, staff a New York state-certified ambulance and emergency support unit, and provide a variety of emergency-related services. The organization has a 25-year history at RIT.