The University
of Delaware Emergency Care Unit, known as UDECU, is an ambulance
service formed in 1976 by Kevin J. O'Neill, a sophomore University
of Delaware student.
Formation
Until 1976, all non-emergency ambulance transportation was provided
by officers from the University of Delaware Department of Public
Safety and emergency ambulance transportation was handled by the
Aetna Hose, Hook and Ladder Company of Newark, DE. O'Neill believed
that students could provide faster and better quality ambulance
service and approached John Brook, UD Vice President for Government
Relations, with the idea of starting a student-run university ambulance
service. Brook liked the idea and referred O'Neill to Investigator
Jack Lynn at the Department of Public Safety. Lynn also liked the
idea as it would free-up public safety personal for patrol duty.
Lynn then wrote a proposal to Mr. Brook pertaining to the ambulance
and equipment and O'Neill went about attempting to organize student
interest.
The
first student interest meeting was an overwhelming success with
over 40 students showing interest. Kevin then approached the student
activities office with his idea and received recognition as a student
organization, with Jack Lynn as faculty advisor. The "Student
Security Emergency Care Unit", as it was originally known,
was born. The Student Security Emergency Care Unit received an early
1970's Ford Econoline Van from Dining Services. They began doing
non-emergency transports with this unit. The inside was homemade
and pretty bare.
Chevrolet
van
Meanwhile, Lynn received funding from the Department of Public Safety
to purchase a 1976 Chevrolet C20 van, complete with sliding side
door with a tinted window. Inv. Lynn then spent the next 2 months
in his driveway, along with interested students, customizing the
van into an ambulance. The ambulance went into service January 1,
1977 and went on its first call later that week. The name was changed
to the "University of Delaware Emergency Care Unit" about
2 years later.
1980s and 1990s
UDECU dedicated its first commercially built ambulance, a 1981 Wheeled
Coach Ford F-350 Econoline van, on March 20, 1981. UDECU continued
to operate using this ambulance and received a well-used ambulance
in 1982, as a donation from the Delaware Park Racetrack.
UDECU
operated both ambulances until the second one burned up in a fire
at a local automotive repair shop in 1985. After a small smoke condition
in the ambulance during a call in 1990, Public Safety decided to
replace the ambulance. The Department of Public Safety then purchased
a 1990 Wheeled Coach Ford E-350 Econoline van as a replacement.
The
tradition of type II ambulances was soon to come to an end. In the
spring of 1999 a committee was put together to form the specifications
for a new, built from scratch, type III ambulance. With lots of hard
work over the next semester, the specifications were written and in
January of 2000 a new Horton 364 Type III ambulance was delivered
to UDECU. This ambulance is the first type III and first fully spec'd
ambulance that UDECU has owned. This ambulance is in service today.
Upgrading of Service
In the spring of 2001, UDECU completed a historic agreement with Aetna
Hose Hook and Ladder Company, the Newark fire department. The agreement
allowed UDECU to act as the third due ambulance for the city of Newark.
This agreement has allowed UDECU to help Aetna to improve EMS coverage
in the city. Since the agreement was signed, UD-1 has responded to
car accidents, cardiac arrests, and many other medical emergencies.
Then, in 2003, as a direct result of the success of the previous agreement,
the district to which UDECU could respond to was extended considerably
and UDECU was upgraded to a second due ambulance.
Awards
Through the years UDECU has also been the recipient of numerous prestigious
awards. In October of 2002, UDECU was awarded the "Leo R. Schwartz
Emergency Medical Service of the Year Award", which is sponsored
by EMS magazine. UDECU is only the second collegiate ambulance service
to win the award in its 25 year history. Also, in February 2005, four
members of UDECU won the National Collegiate EMS Foundation's EMS
skills competition. UDECU has been awarded the National Collegiate
EMS Foundation's "Striving for Excellence" award on three
different occasions, 1999, 2002, and 2005. In April of 2006 past members
gathered to celebrate UDECU's 30th anniversary.
