About Us

Mission Statement

The mission of UCEMS is to improve the health of the University of Chicago and Hyde Park community by training students as Emergency Medical Responders, serving as a professional Emergency Medical Services agency, enhancing the emergency preparedness and public health of the University of Chicago community through education and community service, and acting as an EMS interest group for students at the University of Chicago.

About UCEMS

The University of Chicago Emergency Medical Services (formerly known as the University of Chicago First Responder Corps) is a recognized student organization that offers a variety of services to the campus and community. UCEMS offers an EMR Course that certifies University of Chicago students in emergency response, First Aid, and CPR/AED for the professional rescuer. UCEMS also offers community CPR classes and other outreach programs to help improve the public health of the Hyde Park community. Finally, UCEMS is the parent organization of the UCEMS Unit and provides support and finances to ensure that the UCEMS Unit can stay operational.

Emergency Medical Responder (EMR) Course

If you are interested in becoming trained as an Emergency Medical Responder in our quarterly class, please fill out the form on this page. There are two sections available: M/W (7-9pm) and T/Th (8-10pm). Sections are capped at 20 people and spots will be reserved on a first come first serve basis.

Community Service

UCEMS provides a variety of Community Service opportunities. We offer community CPR classes and are responsible for training and recertification of CPR for the University of Chicago Police Department. We work with other student organizations and Hyde Park groups to provide educational programs about emergency preparedness to students and adults.

UCEMS Unit

The University of Chicago Emergency Medical Services (UCEMS) Unit operates as branch of the University of Chicago Police Department and is a student-run, volunteer EMS agency that serves the University community. We operate at the EMR (emergency medical responder) level, but also have responders with higher qualifications (primarily EMT-Bs). UCEMS offers event stand-by for university-sponsored events.

In the case of an emergency, medical care is necessary in order to ensure the safety of the patient. Emergency Medical Services (EMS) exists to provide fast and effective pre-hospital care. The primary role of EMS is to ensure that patients are transported to a hospital or higher medical authority as quickly as possible. EMS agencies exist at multiple levels of operation. For example, the Chicago Fire Department (CFD) operates at the ALS (Advanced Life Support) level and all ambulance workers in CFD are paramedics. Other cities and EMS agencies operate at a lower level called BLS (Basic Life Support) and some agencies also operate without the ability to transport patients.

There are various levels of care in the EMS system. UCEMS operates at the level of EMR or emergency medical responder. EMRs are licensed by the Red Cross and the State of Illinois to perform first aid, administer emergency oxygen, perform CPR, use an AED (Automatic External Defibrillator), as well as many other life saving skills. Additionally, several UCEMS responders are certified EMTs (Emergency Medical Technicians). EMTs have received more advanced medical training and can perform some more advanced techniques. University of Chicago Emergency Medical Services (UCEMS) offers an EMR course open to all University of Chicago individuals.

UCEMS benefits both the community-at-large and our student responders. By providing event standby, UCEMS has fast response times, can often address issues before they become critical, and frequently manage medical issues on scene without the assistance of more advanced life support, therefore reducing the number of calls to the Chicago Fire Department. Additionally, people tend to be more likely to seek medical assistance when there are professionals standing by than if they need to call 911. Furthermore, collegiate EMS agencies often find that students are more likely to approach their peers for assistance, especially when it comes to drugs and alcohol. UCEMS also provides students with the opportunity to get hands-on, practical experience and exposure to the field of emergency medicine. In addition to working as an EMS provider, students participate in weekly unit training drills, train in the CFD Simulation Lab, and have opportunities to shadow in the ER, attend national conferences, and more.