In October, the University of Arizona’s Emergency Medical Services responded to 112 911 calls. Also known as UAEMS, the organization works 24 hours a day, 365 days a year to respond to emergency calls from students, staff and community members on campus.
The agency is run by students.
“Some people see it from the outside of like, this is just a bunch of college kids, like we’ve gotten that comment plenty of times,” said Becca Doucette, a senior who joined UAEMS in the spring semester of 2024. “But in reality, it’s been really special to see how much we can truly help people.”
On Oct. 17, Doucette helped in an immobilization and minor trauma training for all UAEMS members.
Red shirt members in UAEMS practice performing a spine check at the University of Arizona in Tucson, Ariz. on Oct. 17, 2025. Red shirt members are currently in a semester-long probationary period of training.
She and other members respond to students in emergency situations. They also train each other to improve their EMT skills.
“It’s also a really cool teaching opportunity for our veteran members, just being able to help each other out and kind of help them grow in that process,” Doucette added.
Blue shirt members in UAEMS demonstrate a trauma check during a team training at the University of Arizona in Tucson, Ariz. on Oct. 17, 2025. All blue shirt members have been through a semester-long probationary period of training.
Jake Herbert, a public information officer for UAEMS, helped assist with the training. He has experienced firsthand the impact the agency has on students.
Herbert remembers one call where he and his team responded to a student who had attempted suicide.
“Being there and giving that person a hug and just staying with that person until we can get them to the hospital,” Herbert recalled. “That was a call that’s probably had the biggest impact on me.”
Members of UAEMS are all EMT certified. The students rotate through shifts at the EMS station located on the south side of campus.
Members of the University of Arizona’s Emergency Medical Services are on shift in the EMS station in Tucson, Ariz. on Oct.10, 2025. The students wait to respond to a 911 call.
On shift, they go through a series of operations that include debriefing with the crew from the shift before, doing a bag check in their emergency vehicles and talking with one another while they wait for a 911 call.
A large part of UAEMS services is responding to emergency calls. But they also educate the community.
The organization offers public courses such as CPR certification, Narcan training and STOP THE BLEED classes.
Cassie Medina is a lead public information officer. Part of her job is to help instruct these courses.
“So having people who are educated and knowledgeable really increases the public safety of our university and overall has a really positive impact on people and their lives,” she said.
Medina believes educational trainings are essential to supporting the community.
“I think that’s really my favorite part to hear that they really did use the skills that they learned and they were able to act and most of the time like truly save someone’s life,” Medina added.
The students of UAEMS volunteer to improve safety among the University of Arizona campus.
Arizona Sonoran News is a news service of the University of Arizona School of Journalism.
