EMS answers 9 calls in 24 hours
Rice Emergency Medical Services responded to nine calls in a 24-hour period Sept. 8, a comparatively high number for a day without a major public party. Three of the alcohol related calls last Friday were to Hanszen College.
Compared to the second Friday of classes last year — which saw five calls — more of this year’s calls were alcohol-related, Emergency Medical Services Captain Cameron Decker said.
“Last Friday, the strong majority of the calls were alcohol intox calls.” Decker, a Martel College senior, said.
Hanszen College President Stephen Rooke said his college rarely has EMS calls of any kind.
Rooke, a junior, said he thinks it was a coincidence that the calls happened in one night.
“I think it was just one of those things that happens occasionally,” Rooke said. “It just happened at Hanszen this weekend — I don’t think it’s necessarily symptomatic of a larger problem. I think it was just a matter of students that made a mistake.”
Rooke said there will be no changes at Hanszen as a result of the calls.
Decker said most of the calls were not serious enough to require ambulances.
“The fact that the majority of these calls were [ambulance transport] refusals would generally lead to the presumption that these students aren’t drinking to a point where they’re going to need an ambulance,” Decker said. “I think it’s just reflecting a more cautious approach to alcohol.”
Decker said he thinks the number of calls may have been affected by the EMS, Rice University Police Department and Student Judicial Services presentation during Orientation Week.
“I think our messages we gave during the new student orientation was incredibly well received,” Decker said. “Students are not hesitant to call EMS for alcohol related issues.”
Assistant Dean of Student Judicial Programs Don Ostdiek said he is not sure if the number of calls is an anomaly or if it is representative of a larger problem.
“The dean of undergraduates, RUPD and I are trying to talk about this to see what’s going on,” Ostdiek said. “And all of us are trying to talk to students and see what’s going on.”
Ostdiek said he sees the increase in EMS calls as a health issue rather than a disciplinary one.
“What I don’t want to have happen is [for] people to start to fear calling EMS,” Ostdiek said. “Our most important concern is people’s health and safety, and that should always trump peoples’ concerns for calling [EMS].”
Decker said he thinks EMS is prepared to handle a higher number of calls.
“I think that we’ve got the campus covered and we haven’t run into a situation that makes us have to adjust the method of operation,” Decker said.
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