This summer, University Health Services (UHS) welcomed a new addition to its staff: a 2009 GMC G4500 diesel ambulance. The custom-built emergency services vehicle was manufactured by Road Rescue Inc. in Marion, S.C. and arrived at UHS in August.
“The Pennsylvania Department of Health must first inspect and test the vehicle for proper installation and operation standards before licensing,” said Dave Jones, Penn State Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Manager. “We expect to have the new rig in operation by the end of the week.” UHS already operates two ambulances; the new ambulance will replace UHS’s current 1997 Ford McCoy Miller truck.
“The GMC is a lot bigger, so we’ve added lighting and extra cabinets,” Jones said. “The state-mandated list of items to keep on board keeps growing, so we’re required to carry more and more equipment.” Custom features include two overhead bars for staff to hold while the vehicle is in motion, additional side windows and interior scene lighting, an exterior light to direct traffic around the vehicle, and exterior cameras to reveal blind spots for the driver. Jones added the University Ambulance Service (UAS) collectively designed the rig to be “safe, reliable, and functional, so our crew can work securely and efficiently inside.”
Doris Guanowsky, UHS Senior Associate Director, said that UAS provides emergency care on campus 24 hours a day, year-round. Additionally, they cover every special event at University Park and occasionally assist EMS agencies off-campus. Guanowsky explained UAS covers “everything from sports and athletic events, to concerts, THON, Special Olympics, and even State Patty’s Day.”
EMS Supervisor and Instructor Josh Fremburg said that most students become Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) because they want to volunteer on the ambulance. EMS accepts new student volunteers each semester, and all volunteers and staff must undergo training specific to the new rig. EMS normally has around 20 crew members.
For more information on emergency medical services at UHS or to learn how to join the EMS squad, visit their website at http://studentaffairs.psu.edu/health/services/emergency or call EMS Supervisor/Instructor Josh Fremburg at 814-863-0434.