7 June 2023 HWS EMS' 15 Years of Service Recognized at National Conference By Finley HETHERINGTON AHERNE

The student-led volunteer HWS EMS team participated in the National Collegiate Emergency Medical Services Foundation conference.

This spring, students from Hobart and William Smith’s Emergency Medical Service (EMS) gained knowledge and skills about responding to calls on campus and received a certificate recognizing the service’s 15th anniversary during the National Collegiate Emergency Medical Services Foundation conference in Boston. 

Eight students attended the conference, which pools together more than 1,100 service members from over 100 colleges and universities across the U.S. and Canada for three days of education, skills labs and networking. The conference included a multitude of EMT training activities, along with socials, group meet-and-greets and an academic poster session, which featured original research and case studies in program development and evaluation.

“At the conference, we attended a variety of lectures pertaining to collegiate EMS and met with other agencies to discuss ways to improve,” says Chief of Service Alex Davidson ’24.“We’ve gained knowledge about specifically dealing with college campus calls, how to increase recruitment, and provide better patient care. It’s also a great way for the students in EMS to bond and build team skills.”

In addition to Davidson, team members attending included Ashley Aronson ’24, Marlayna DiFante ’24, David Zizzi ’23, Lexi Miller ’24, Katie Crandall ’25, Derrielle Faulkner ’25 and Taylor Gauthier ’24.

HWS EMS members are New York State-certified Basic Emergency Medical Technicians that provide a Basic Life Support First Response Service. Most volunteers join in their first year, take their EMT course in the spring semester and begin working at the start of their sophomore year.

Associate Vice President of Campus Safety Martin Corbett, who also attended the conference, says he has been impressed with the dedication and skill of the students who volunteer each year. He notes they “provide an invaluable service to our campus community.”

Top: Ashley Aronson '24, Marlayna DiFante '24, David Zizzi '23, Lexi Miller '24, Katie Crandall '25, Derriele Faulkner '25 and Taylor Gauthier '24 gather at the conference.