By ANIKA SETHY
Last week, Cornell University EMS organized events and classes to promote the Collegiate Emergency Medical Services Week.
The week is dedicated to the annual celebration of campus EMS services and consists of events intended to educate the Cornell community about how to respond to emergency situations and connect with emergency responders on campus, according to Emily Dando ‘14, community education officer for CUEMS.
Hannah James ‘15, promotions officer for CUEMS, said EMS Week helped to encourage healthy living around Cornell.
“I think EMS Week is a great opportunity for members of CUEMS to engage with the Cornell community and to play an active role in promoting a healthy student population,” James said in an email.
Last Monday, to mark National Collegiate CPR Day, CUEMS offered free classes to the Cornell community. The group certified 32 people during the three classes they held, according to Dando.
Spencer Whale ‘14, who took one of the American Heart Association CPR certification classes offered, said the course was a great way for people to learn lifesaving skills.
“I think we do have a responsibility as students in a privileged Ivy League university to better ourselves with our time here. … I want to be able to go out in the world and know that I can help in some way,” Whale said. “I’m a theater major; I’m not a doctor, but I feel better knowing that if a situation arises, I’m not going to stand there gaping. I’m glad that that’s something Cornell has left me with in my senior year.”
Last Tuesday, CUEMS partnered with Bangs Ambulance and Cornell Environmental Health and Safety to hold a vehicle exposé on Ho Plaza, Dando said. She added that the exposé allowed students a closer look at the emergency response vehicles and gave them the opportunity to ask questions about each agency.
On Wednesday, CUEMS held an event called “Got Soap?” — a flu prevention campaign launched by CUEMS five years ago. CUEMS partnered with Gannett Health Services and Clorox to pass out bars of soap and hand sanitizer to promote hand hygiene and prevent the spread of illness, according to Dando. James said that although it may have seemed unusual, the campaign was an effective way to spread the word about flu prevention.
“I think some people were surprised to see that we were giving out soap, because it’s not something you typically receive with a quarter card on Ho Plaza. But hand-washing is one of the best ways to fight the flu, and handing out free soap is definitely a great way to encourage that,” she said.
On Thursday, CUEMS provided information concerning alcohol safety and answered questions about New York State Good Samaritan laws and campus policy with regards to alcohol, Dando said.
Finally, on Friday, CUEMS finished the week with a Red Cross Blood Drive, which was held at Bartels Hall.