By Donna Smith | University Communications and Marketing
The USF Medical Response Unit has expanded its presence with first responders stationed on both sides of the Tampa campus. It’s now headquartered at the Student Health and Wellness Center while maintaining its space in the USF Health College of Nursing building.
“This new space allows us to improve our organization and dispatch services, which means we can get our crew out faster and provide medical care more efficiently,” EMS commander Austin Jared said.
The MRU is a completely free service offered to students. Since its launch in 2020, the MRU has responded to more than 400 non-life-threatening emergency calls for events such as skateboard accidents or illness, averaging one to two calls per day. Calls for help are typically answered in less than five minutes, thanks to the unit's ability to position themselves on either side of campus, as well as a GPS system that allows dispatchers to track the ambulance’s location in real-time.
The MRU unit was funded by student fees and is staffed by 36 volunteers, most of whom are USF students. They are professionally trained to administer life-saving drugs, such as Narcan and epinephrine, and they’re licensed to transport members of the USF community to the Student Health and Wellness Center for further treatment, the Morsani Center for Advanced Healthcare for imaging or even a local hospital. Jared says these services have saved patients nearly $100,000 in ambulance fees last year alone.
“We’re not here to replace Tampa Fire and Rescue, but we can supplement that system,” Jared said. “It takes time for people to get resources to our campus, and our goal is to ensure that the smallest amount of time possible elapses between somebody having an emergency and having qualified hands there to help them.”
Jared helped launch the MRU alongside members of USF’s University Emergency Medical Student Association, a group of students studying in medical fields who were trained emergency responders. His interest in providing a free transport service began in 2015, when he was working as an emergency medical technician for the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay, zoned to serve USF and the surrounding area.
“I noticed that when my partner and I would respond to 911 calls on the Tampa campus, students would often refuse care due to the expense of ambulance transport,” he said.
Like Jared, most MRU responders came to USF already trained as EMTs or paramedics. Trained USF employees are also welcome to volunteer. Anyone who isn’t trained can take the nine-week Emergency Medical Responder Course, taught by MRU operations coordinator and paramedic John Beauchemin. Beauchemin says while anyone is welcome, the course is especially helpful for students studying in medical fields.
“I’ve had many students say that the course made their clinical experiences and classwork easier because it gives them experience assessing and treating patients,” Beauchemin said.
The Medical Response Unit operates Monday through Friday, from 10 a.m.- 7 p.m. To request service, faculty, staff and students can call (813) 974-4678. For a life-threatening medical emergency, always call 911 first before calling the MRU.