By Christopher Jennison
Being a college EMS agency presents challenges that are unique, including being seen as having a lack of experience by other emergency services that serve the area. To correct that perception, Syracuse University Ambulance sends participants to trainings at the local, state, and federal level. Many times, the students then return and train other EMT’s in the organization on the material they learned.
After a busy week of training and classroom instruction, emergency response officials from across the United States are now familiar with Syracuse University Ambulance. From May 16th to May 20th, SUA was represented among 20 police, fire and EMS departments that attended the Department of Homeland Security’s “Prevention and Response to Suicide Bombing Incidents” (PRSBI) class held at a New Mexico Tech traning compound in Playas, New Mexico.
There Andrew Bissett, John Burke, Christopher Jennison, Steve Maheux and Elizabeth Rynes worked side-by-side with members of SWAT teams, bomb squads, public safety officers and government officials. After several days of intense classroom instruction on the precursors associated with terrorism, learning how to conducting a risk analysis, and witnessing explosive demonstrations designed to prepare first responders to the modern challenges of terrorism, the week culminated in a two-day practical scenario.
With countless years of experience in one room, many of the other agencies were surprised and impressed to see a collegiate EMS agency represented and provided the members of SUA with useful feedback and information to bring back to campus. Additionally, the representation at this training opened the door for other trainings and connections to provide the University as a whole with better training opportunities and preparedness measures.