EMeRG, the University's student-run emergency medical service, will not run again until late August because of a lack of resources. Shown here, one of the service's two ambulances, parked outside the Marvin Center. Joe Ginarte/Hatchet photographer
EMeRG, the University’s student-staffed emergency medical response service, has ceased operations for the rest of the summer and will not run again until late August because of a lack of resources.
The program, which has run during the summer for the past two years, was in operation for the 2009 Colonial Inauguration sessions, but will not take calls until Aug. 23, when it will resume regular service for the academic year.
EMeRG coordinator David Fifer said the decision to cease summer operations stemmed from limited finances and volunteers.
“In the past we experimented with trying to cover the summer with our resources and what we found was that we’re not able to do that in a way we’d like right now,” Fifer said. “We didn’t have enough staff to provide the sort of quality services that the university community has come to rely on. But also general resources as well, we wanted to make sure we’re concentrating them on when call volume is the highest, which is during the academic year.”
During the last two summers, EMeRG ran limited coverage in the evening, Fifer said.
Though students were interested in working over the summer, Fifer said not enough volunteers were available to run shifts. Providing housing for members was not an issue, he said. Excluding the CI dates when EMeRG was in service, the calls EMeRG would typically handle have been directed to D.C. Fire and Emergency Medical Services.
During the school year, EMeRG provides 24-hour emergency medical service to students, something Fifer said is a goal for next summer.
“It’s a big goal of mine as a coordinator and it’s a big goal of the membership to be able to provide 365-day per year coverage to the GW community,” Fifer said.
