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Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. putting their emergency medical technician training to use as they serve the campus and surrounding area.
Chris Scull, a graduate student in pathology and EMS Operations captain with the South Orange Rescue Squad, said some nights are busier than others.
"A lot of people think it's really fast paced, and it is - but sometimes it's not," Scull said.
The number of calls varies throughout the year, he said. "It depends on whether the students are here."
The squad also provides services for high school and UNC sporting events.
Jordan Coates, a junior at UNC and EMS Operations lieutenant, came up with the idea for a campus EMS at UNC. Trained as an EMT in high school, Coates wanted to continue his service in college. He approached the University in spring 2004 about starting a campus EMS unit.
Because the University was concerned about liability, Coates said, the squad ultimately became part of the South Orange Rescue Squad. The campus EMS began its service in September 2005.
Matthew Mauzy, chief of the South Orange Rescue Squad, estimates the unit has responded to 70 calls since its inception, both on campus and locally.
Campus EMS operates from a base in an Odum Village apartment provided by the University.
Mauzy said the campus EMS squad has had a strong relationship with the University since the unit was founded.
"It's been very positive all around," he said.
Part of the process for the campus EMS included offering an EMT training course. Coates approached Durham Technical Community College, and the first satellite course was held in Chapel Hill in fall 2004.
Student demand for the course has been high, Coates said.
"Each class has 120 applications for 35 spots," he said, "and each (applicant) understands the time commitment involved."
The commitment is intensive, Scull said. While many applicants intend to major in medicine, only those who truly are committed make it.
"If you're a pre-med student, you have a pretty heavy course load, so that's something we stress during training," Scull said. "That's probably the No. 1 reason someone drops out."
The course, which now is being offered for the third time, runs for a semester and requires 170 hours, in accordance with state guidelines. After completing the course, volunteers must take a state exam to become certified and then apply to the South Orange Rescue Squad.
Trainees must ride along with two-person crews for at least three or four months. The South Orange Rescue Squad also encourages cadets to ride with county ambulances to gain more experience.
"There's a lot of things you can't teach in a class," Coates said. "The way calls are dispatched, it just takes a lot of practice."
Scull said he enjoys working with campus EMS because of the tangible effects of serving.
"You want to volunteer, but this is an exciting opportunity of doing it and having a direct impact," he said. "It's definitely not the lack of sleep, I'll tell you that."
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