Georgetown Emergency Response Medical Service
Encyclopedia
The Georgetown Emergency Response Medical Service, or GERMS as it is also known, is a student-run, all-volunteer ambulance
service, serving Georgetown University
and the local community in Georgetown, Washington, D.C.
, including the main campus and the neighborhoods of West Georgetown, Burleith
, and Foxhall
, since 1982. GERMS provides year round, 24/7 medical services, rapid response, treatment, and transport to hospitals in the Washington, D.C.
area. GERMS ambulances are equipped to offer basic life support services, including early defibrillation
via automated external defibrillator
s, with advanced life support assistance available from Washington, D.C. Fire and EMS (DCFD).
Doherty's interest in starting GERMS stemmed from serving in a unique emergency service
, Explorer Post 53 - Emergency Medical Services, in his high school in Darien, Connecticut
. At Georgetown, Doherty saw a great need for faster emergency medical response on campus, especially so due to the convenience of having a medical center located on campus. Although the original proposal was submitted in November 1980, it was not until the fall of 1982 that he was able to get the necessary insurance to start GERMS.
Originally, the proposal was for a basic system of operation consisting of two person duty crews carrying radio pagers to be dispatched by GUPS (Georgetown University Protective Services) to the scene of any medical emergency on campus. The crew members would stabilize the patient and determine the appropriateness and feasibility of transport in the survival cart. Each duty crew would have one Emergency medical technician
(EMT) and one person with a minimum of Advanced First Aid and Basic Life Support certification. In 1982 the Nursing School
debated and rejected the idea of establishing an EMT certification course for undergraduate credit as it did not fit into the nursing curriculum. The medical school and hospital, however, both agreed to assist GERMS members in teaching the course, although they would not be able to offer undergraduate credit. Since then, hundreds of Georgetown students and members of the community have been trained and certified as EMTs through GERMS.
The spring of 1983 brought GERMS a second-hand ambulance (this vehicle first served as hearse, before being converted to EMS use). Beginning 1983-09-01, with a membership of 60 certified EMTs, GERMS began providing 24 hour service to the Georgetown University Main Campus community.
. Two ambulances transport patients to Georgetown University Medical Center conveniently located on the University's main campus.
GERMS is run entirely by undergraduate students of Georgetown University. GERMS operations are governed by the Executive Board, while personnel matters and quality improvement efforts are handled by the Crew Chief Council. GERMS operates under the Department of Public Safety. On-line and operational medical control is provided by the Georgetown University Hospital's Emergency Department.
Currently, GERMS possesses two ambulances, the newest of which was acquired in 2011, one support vehicle, and enjoys a membership of over one-hundred DC certified EMT-B's, the large majority of whom are undergraduates. A crew of three is on duty at all times, available by two-way radios and dispatched by DPS (Department of Public Safety). In addition to serving the Georgetown University Main Campus Community, GERMS members also participate in stand-by medical coverage for events at RFK Stadium and the National Mall
- such as the Virgin Festival
concert, athletic events, and the 2001 and 2005 Inaugurations of President Bush
, as well as the 2009 Inauguration of President Barack Obama
- at the request of the DC Office of Emergency Health and Medical Services and the DC Fire and EMS Department
.
Ambulance
An ambulance is a vehicle for transportation of sick or injured people to, from or between places of treatment for an illness or injury, and in some instances will also provide out of hospital medical care to the patient...
service, serving Georgetown University
Georgetown University
Georgetown University is a private, Jesuit, research university whose main campus is in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic university in the United States...
and the local community in Georgetown, Washington, D.C.
Georgetown, Washington, D.C.
Georgetown is a neighborhood located in northwest Washington, D.C., situated along the Potomac River. Founded in 1751, the port of Georgetown predated the establishment of the federal district and the City of Washington by 40 years...
, including the main campus and the neighborhoods of West Georgetown, Burleith
Burleith
Burleith is a moderately upscale neighborhood in Washington, D.C. It is bordered by Wisconsin Avenue to the East, Reservoir Road and the historic Georgetown district to the south, Whitehaven Park to the North and Glover Archbold Park to the West...
, and Foxhall
Foxhall, Washington, D.C.
Foxhall is an affluent neighborhood in Washington, D.C., bordered by Reservoir Road on the north side and Foxhall Road on the west and south sides. Glover-Archibold Park makes up the eastern border....
, since 1982. GERMS provides year round, 24/7 medical services, rapid response, treatment, and transport to hospitals in the Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
area. GERMS ambulances are equipped to offer basic life support services, including early defibrillation
Defibrillation
Defibrillation is a common treatment for life-threatening cardiac arrhythmias, ventricular fibrillation and pulseless ventricular tachycardia. Defibrillation consists of delivering a therapeutic dose of electrical energy to the affected heart with a device called a defibrillator...
via automated external defibrillator
Automated external defibrillator
An automated external defibrillator or AED is a portable electronic device that automatically diagnoses the potentially life threatening cardiac arrhythmias of ventricular fibrillation and ventricular tachycardia in a patient, and is able to treat them through defibrillation, the application of...
s, with advanced life support assistance available from Washington, D.C. Fire and EMS (DCFD).
Founding and early history
In 1979, the Georgetown University Department of Emergency Medicine was presented with a converted E-Z-GO electric golf cart to serve as an EMS vehicle. This survival cart was operated under the supervision of Robert W. “Hap“ Arnold of the Emergency Medical Education Program and was used by medical students to staff athletic activities. Building upon this, GERMS was founded in 1982 by Mr. Arnold, Robert Doherty (College '83, Medical '87), and a group of enthusiastic students.Doherty's interest in starting GERMS stemmed from serving in a unique emergency service
Emergency medical services in the United States
Emergency Medical Services in the United States, provide out-of-hospital acute medical care and/or transport to definitive care for those in need...
, Explorer Post 53 - Emergency Medical Services, in his high school in Darien, Connecticut
Darien, Connecticut
Darien is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. A relatively small community on Connecticut's "Gold Coast", the population was 20,732 at the 2010 census. Darien was listed at #9 at CNN Money's list of "top-earning towns" in the United States as of 2011...
. At Georgetown, Doherty saw a great need for faster emergency medical response on campus, especially so due to the convenience of having a medical center located on campus. Although the original proposal was submitted in November 1980, it was not until the fall of 1982 that he was able to get the necessary insurance to start GERMS.
Originally, the proposal was for a basic system of operation consisting of two person duty crews carrying radio pagers to be dispatched by GUPS (Georgetown University Protective Services) to the scene of any medical emergency on campus. The crew members would stabilize the patient and determine the appropriateness and feasibility of transport in the survival cart. Each duty crew would have one Emergency medical technician
Emergency medical technician
Emergency Medical Technician or Ambulance Technician are terms used in some countries to denote a healthcare provider of emergency medical services...
(EMT) and one person with a minimum of Advanced First Aid and Basic Life Support certification. In 1982 the Nursing School
School of Nursing and Health Studies
Georgetown University School of Nursing & Health Studies is one of the four undergraduate schools of Georgetown University. Founded in 1903 as the School of Nursing, it added three other health related majors in 1999 and appended its name to become the School of Nursing & Health Studies...
debated and rejected the idea of establishing an EMT certification course for undergraduate credit as it did not fit into the nursing curriculum. The medical school and hospital, however, both agreed to assist GERMS members in teaching the course, although they would not be able to offer undergraduate credit. Since then, hundreds of Georgetown students and members of the community have been trained and certified as EMTs through GERMS.
The spring of 1983 brought GERMS a second-hand ambulance (this vehicle first served as hearse, before being converted to EMS use). Beginning 1983-09-01, with a membership of 60 certified EMTs, GERMS began providing 24 hour service to the Georgetown University Main Campus community.
GERMS today
All GERMS are certified District of Columbia EMT-B's and all new members are required to maintain certification from the National Registry of Emergency Medical TechniciansNational Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians
The National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians is a US certification agency covering prehospital medical providers.- History :NREMT was established in 1970 in response to President Lyndon Johnson's Committee on Highway Traffic Safety recommended a national certifying agency for Emergency...
. Two ambulances transport patients to Georgetown University Medical Center conveniently located on the University's main campus.
GERMS is run entirely by undergraduate students of Georgetown University. GERMS operations are governed by the Executive Board, while personnel matters and quality improvement efforts are handled by the Crew Chief Council. GERMS operates under the Department of Public Safety. On-line and operational medical control is provided by the Georgetown University Hospital's Emergency Department.
Currently, GERMS possesses two ambulances, the newest of which was acquired in 2011, one support vehicle, and enjoys a membership of over one-hundred DC certified EMT-B's, the large majority of whom are undergraduates. A crew of three is on duty at all times, available by two-way radios and dispatched by DPS (Department of Public Safety). In addition to serving the Georgetown University Main Campus Community, GERMS members also participate in stand-by medical coverage for events at RFK Stadium and the National Mall
National Mall
The National Mall is an open-area national park in downtown Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States. The National Mall is a unit of the National Park Service , and is administered by the National Mall and Memorial Parks unit...
- such as the Virgin Festival
Virgin Festival
The Virgin Fest is a rock festival held in the United States and Canada, a spin-off from the V Festival held in the UK...
concert, athletic events, and the 2001 and 2005 Inaugurations of President Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
, as well as the 2009 Inauguration of President Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
- at the request of the DC Office of Emergency Health and Medical Services and the DC Fire and EMS Department
District of Columbia Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department
The District of Columbia Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department, , established July 1, 1884, is the municipal fire department and emergency medical service agency for Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States...
.
Historical moments
- During the September 11 attacks in 2001, GERMS was on standby to serve the greater District of Columbia as DC Fire and EMS was being diverted to respond to the Pentagon attacksAmerican Airlines Flight 77American Airlines Flight 77 was American Airlines' daily scheduled morning transcontinental flight, from Washington Dulles International Airport, in Dulles, Virginia to Los Angeles International Airport in Los Angeles, California...
. - January 2004: GERMS staffed numerous units at the Presidential Inauguration.
- September 2005 GERMS manned the First Aid Post for Hurricane KatrinaHurricane KatrinaHurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
survivors who were temporarily housed at the D.C. Armory. - October 2008: GERMS treated over 80 students in the course of 24 hours after an outbreak of Norovirus.