Student Emergency Medical Services at ASU wins international titles

Sun Devils from Arizona State University’s Student Emergency Medical Services (SEMS) took home two major awards at the 21st Annual National Collegiate Emergency Medical Service Foundation conference held in Boston earlier this month.

The student team was chosen as one of four teams out of approximately 30 teams nationally to compete in the finals of the Physio-Control EMS Skills Classic: responding to a mock university bleacher collapse, performed live on stage.

“Patients were triaged, moved and treated with the speed and efficiency of expert medical professionals,” said SEMS member Chris Laube.

SEMS was awarded first place in the Mass Casualty Incident drill. The winning team members included ASU students Michael Juby, Connor Mattingly, Ashley Ryder and Whitney Witherspoon.

SEMS also received the foundation's Striving for Excellence award for being one of the “benchmark organizations that others strive to emulate.” The award represents the culmination of a three-year accreditation process led by Sean McMullen, ASU student and SEMS chief.

According to McMullen, “SEMS has always been an organization that strives to raise the bar, especially when it comes to the quality of patient care.”

The Student Emergency Medical Services at Arizona State University is a group of fully certified Emergency Medical Technicians who provide emergency medical care for ASU’s students, faculty and visitors. Through regular training and collaboration with local police, fire and EMS agencies, these dedicated student volunteers offer the ASU community outstanding, professional and dependable pre-hospital care.