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1970's- The Beginning...
TAMECT
In 1976, a person by the
name of Jim Persons saw the need for creating a first responder service
to cater to the ever growing need for medical service on campus. Later
that year, he was able to receive the funds in order to purchase the first
batch of BLS medical equipment, which consisted of 2 medical bags, a backboard,
and some splints. With four other volunteer students behind him, the university
allowed him to create a student organization called the Texas A&M Emergency
Care Team.
At the time, the Emergency Care Team, or TAMECT as it is now known today, was
responsible for staffing some university sponsored events on campus like basketball
and Corps of Cadet events. For the next few months, all their equipment was
stored in a small closet under a staircase in the basement of the AP Beutel
Health Center. In the next couple of years, Student Health Services assigned
them a newly renovated squad room that was 400 square feet in the basement
of the Health Center, just across the hall from the stairway closet they had
enjoyed the use of all this time.
For the next couple of years, TAMECT grew in size and by 1979, there were well
over 40 active members on the roster. The athletic department on campus started
to see the value of TAMECT and decided to hand responsibility of staffing medical
first aid stations at home football games to TAMECT. TAMECT jumped at this
opportunity and excelled at providing first responder basic care to the then
50,000 attendees present at home football games at Kyle Field.
1980's - TAMECT's
First Ambulance
In 1980, TAMECT acquired its first ambulance, a medically
equipped station wagon given from the Health Center which they certified
was an ambulance. Keep in mind that this is before major regulations
over ambulances were in place. At the time, TAMECT became one of the
first ambulance services in Brazos County, offering advanced life support
care to its patients which were students or patrons on the A&M
campus, at university events, and the fire training school. In its
first year, TAMECT responded to 500 calls for emergency assistance.
1990's - The Formation
of Texas A&M EMS
TAMECT's ambulance division continued to provide 911 emergency
service to Texas A&M throughout the early 1990's. Eventually, Texas
A&M pulled the ambulance division of TAMECT and made it into a campus
service under the direct control of Student Health Services. Thus, this
new service was officially recognized as Texas A&M University EMS which
gave insurance protection to its members and other regulations.
TAMECT retained its status as a student organization and to this day continues
to provide first aid and basic life support for University events. (Click
Here for TAMECT's Website).
At 2:42am on November 18, 1999, twelve students lost their lives and 27 others
were injured when the annual Aggie Bonfire collapsed while it was being built
on campus. The combined rescue efforts of TAMU EMS, TAMECT, College Station
Fire Department, and Bryan Fire Department worked gallantly to insure that
more lives were not lost in this tragedy in Aggieland's history. In the aftermath
of this tragedy, the original founders of TAMECT and TAMU EMS worked together
to create an alumni organization so that former members of either organization
can combine their resources together for future use. Thus, the Former Aggie Medics Association was officially organized and offers EMT scholarships,
assistance in getting internships for students, etc. to members of TAMU EMS
and TAMECT.
University EMS 2000-Present
TAMU EMS is a member of the National
Collegiate EMS Foundation, an organization dedicated to promoting the ideals
and reputation of campus-based, student-run emergency medical services.
In 2000, TAMU EMS
and TAMECT moved their operations to a new station located on the second
floor of the AP Beutel Health Center which provided more modern accommodations.
TAMU EMS has upgraded
much of its equipment. Among the most significant are 12-lead EKG monitors,
capnography, and advanced pain management. Our dispatch center is computer
based now, using a commercial computer aided dispatch program as well
as advanced 911 recording equipment. In 2003, TAMU EMS moved from paper
based patient care report to computer based patient reporting. This
advancement offers several advantages, including a better process of
evaluating our
medics.
University EMS
and TAMECT remain closely tied to each other and work very closely
at home football games, and other large scale univerity events.
Today, University EMS and TAMECT still operate with volunteers
who dedicate their time to keep our emergency units staffed 24
hours a day throughout the entire year. University EMS
now operates a fleet of two mobile intensive care units and one
QRV.
University EMS
now operates one of the most aggressive set of protocols in the Texas
region, and has also organized an advanced life support bike response
team, which enables medics to provide emergency care at congested events
such as football games and large scale campus events.
The Future of University
EMS
University EMS is considering adding a paid paramedic
staff to mentor student volunteers and to provide ALS level staffing on
our primary ambulance.
The University is also hoping
to have a unified set of medical protocols for all responder orgainizations
on campus including University
EMS, TAMECT, and the Rec Sports Medics.
From the days of operating a small station wagon, all the way to today's
two state of the art ambulances and QRV, and from the days of answering
one of 10 different phones sitting on a wooden desk, to operating
a computer based enhanced 911 dispatch service, TAMU EMS has proven to be one
of the most elite collegiate EMS agencies in the United States.
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