University of California, Los Angeles Emergency Medical Services
Encyclopedia
UCLA Emergency Medical Services (EMS) is a student run Emergency Medical Services
organization at the University of California, Los Angeles
. Part of the University of California Police Department (UCPD)
, UCLA EMS provides 9-1-1 emergency medical response to the UCLA campus and surrounding areas 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Each year, UCLA EMS responds to over 1,700 calls for medical aid, making it one of the busiest collegiate EMS agencies in the nation.
(BLS) emergency medical unit dispatched by the UCPD 9-1-1 Communications Center to over 1,700 medical aid calls annually in a densely populated response area that includes the UCLA campus as well as surrounding areas of Westwood. UCLA EMS operates on a tiered response system. If needed, Advanced Life Support
(ALS) assistance is provided by the Los Angeles Fire Department
(LAFD) (the UCLA campus falls within the first-in area of stations 37 and 71). UCLA EMS operates one primary response ambulance ("EMS-1") 24/7 - additional units (either fully staffed ambulances or bicycle response teams) are staffed during special events or emergencies on the UCLA campus.
Patients are typically transported to the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center
, located on campus.
(EtCO2), NIBP, pulse oximetry
, and physician/ALS-directed transcutaneous pacing
. The Zoll AED-Pro is used at special events due to its portable size.
in California and who have a minimum of one year left in school and a 2.0 GPA. Typically, hiring occurs twice a year during the Fall and Spring academic quarters.
Hiring is a competitive process involving a battery of exams which evaluate physical agility, medical knowledge, campus geography, and performance under hypothetical scenarios.
Organizational Structure
Emergency medical services
Emergency medical services are a type of emergency service dedicated to providing out-of-hospital acute medical care and/or transport to definitive care, to patients with illnesses and injuries which the patient, or the medical practitioner, believes constitutes a medical emergency...
organization at the University of California, Los Angeles
University of California, Los Angeles
The University of California, Los Angeles is a public research university located in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, USA. It was founded in 1919 as the "Southern Branch" of the University of California and is the second oldest of the ten campuses...
. Part of the University of California Police Department (UCPD)
University of California Police Department
The University of California Police Department is the police agency charged with providing law enforcement to the campuses of the University of California system.-History:...
, UCLA EMS provides 9-1-1 emergency medical response to the UCLA campus and surrounding areas 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Each year, UCLA EMS responds to over 1,700 calls for medical aid, making it one of the busiest collegiate EMS agencies in the nation.
History
In 1979, responding to an ever-growing campus and the resulting increase in demand for emergency services, UCLA created the Emergency Medical Services out of the UCLA Police Department. Originally, the ambulance was staffed by police officers who had received medical training. When a medical aid call came in, the police officers would respond back to the police station, jump in the ambulance, and respond to the scene. Beginning in the early 1980's, student employees (community service officers, or CSOs) of the police department began to staff the ambulance. Eventually, EMS would break off to become its own division at UCPD.EMS Response
UCLA EMS is a primary, "first-in" Basic Life SupportBasic life support
Basic life support is the level of medical care which is used for patients with life-threatening illnesses or injuries until the patient can be given full medical care at a hospital. It can be provided by trained medical personnel, including emergency medical technicians, paramedics, and by...
(BLS) emergency medical unit dispatched by the UCPD 9-1-1 Communications Center to over 1,700 medical aid calls annually in a densely populated response area that includes the UCLA campus as well as surrounding areas of Westwood. UCLA EMS operates on a tiered response system. If needed, Advanced Life Support
Advanced Life Support
Advanced Life Support is a set of life-saving protocols and skills that extend Basic Life Support to further support the circulation and provide an open airway and adequate ventilation .-Components of ALS:These include:...
(ALS) assistance is provided by the Los Angeles Fire Department
Los Angeles Fire Department
The Los Angeles Fire Department is the agency that provides fire protection and emergency medical services for the city of Los Angeles....
(LAFD) (the UCLA campus falls within the first-in area of stations 37 and 71). UCLA EMS operates one primary response ambulance ("EMS-1") 24/7 - additional units (either fully staffed ambulances or bicycle response teams) are staffed during special events or emergencies on the UCLA campus.
Patients are typically transported to the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center
Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center
The Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center is a hospital located on the campus of the University of California, Los Angeles in Los Angeles, California....
, located on campus.
Vehicles and Equipment
UCLA EMS currently owns one Chevy type III ambulance from Wheeled Coach and two Type II Ford ambulances outfitted by Leader Industries in El Monte, CA. It also has an electric cart for special events, specially outfitted to accommodate a gurney and other medical equipment. EMTs are trained as EMT-D's and utilize the Zoll E-series Semi-Automatic Defibrillator for defibrillation, 3-lead EKG, CapnographyCapnography
Capnography is the monitoring of the concentration or partial pressure of carbon dioxide in the respiratory gases. Its main development has been as a monitoring tool for use during anaesthesia and intensive care. It is usually presented as a graph of expiratory plotted against time, or, less...
(EtCO2), NIBP, pulse oximetry
Pulse oximetry
Pulse oximetry is a non-invasive method allowing the monitoring of the oxygenation of a patient's hemoglobin.A sensor is placed on a thin part of the patient's body, usually a fingertip or earlobe, or in the case of an infant, across a foot....
, and physician/ALS-directed transcutaneous pacing
Transcutaneous pacing
Transcutaneous pacing is a temporary means of pacing a patient's heart during a medical emergency. It is accomplished by delivering pulses of electric current through the patient's chest, which stimulates the heart to contract....
. The Zoll AED-Pro is used at special events due to its portable size.
Non-EMS Duties
While 911 emergency medical response is their first priority, EMTs also staff the front desk of the UCLA Police Department. They assist all visitors to the department, maintain the campus central Lost and Found program, and take over 40% of police counter reports at the station.Membership
Membership is open to full-time UCLA students who are certified as EMTsEmergency medical technician
Emergency Medical Technician or Ambulance Technician are terms used in some countries to denote a healthcare provider of emergency medical services...
in California and who have a minimum of one year left in school and a 2.0 GPA. Typically, hiring occurs twice a year during the Fall and Spring academic quarters.
Hiring is a competitive process involving a battery of exams which evaluate physical agility, medical knowledge, campus geography, and performance under hypothetical scenarios.
Training
Continuing Education (CE) lectures taught by the Medical Director or an appropriate guest are conducted on a monthly basis. The CE's are highly interactive and are designed to create a well-informed team of EMS personnel that have been exposed to a wide range of topics that exceed their basic training as a BLS provider.Special Events
UCLA EMS is responsible for providing medical coverage to events on the UCLA campus, which frequently bring thousands or tens-of-thousands of people onto the campus. For these events, UCLA EMS will staff another ambulance in addition to the in-service response unit (EMS-1). Some events are recurring, such as UCLA home basketball games in Pauley Pavilion, the LA Times Festival of Books, Mercedes Benz Tennis Cup, Nickelodeon Kids Choice Awards, IM and other NCAA Conference sports events, and Commencement Ceremonies. Notable non-recurring events include the 1984 Olympics, movie premiers, film shoots, and the Special Olympics.Organization
UCLA Emergency Medical Services is a division of the Police Community Services section of the UCLA Police Department, along with Crime Prevention and CSO Programs. UCLA EMS operates under a team management system. "Team Management" consists of the EMS Manager, Medical Director, Supervisors and Coordinators, and Team Representative - it meets monthly to discuss organizational and operational issues.Organizational Structure
- Chief of Police
- Director of Police Community Services
- EMS Manager
- Medical Director
- Training Supervisor
- Trainees
- Coordinators (Public Relations/Hiring, Maintenance, and Quality Improvement)
- Field Training Officers (FTO's)
- Trained EMTs
- Probationary EMTs