The University of Delaware Emergency Care Unit (UDECU), a volunteer, student-run ambulance serving UD and the Newark community, has received two top recognitions from the National Collegiate Emergency Medical Services Foundation (NCEMSF).

The foundation, which encourages and promotes community awareness of the potential for saving the lives of sudden cardiac arrest victims through the use of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and increased public access to defibrillation, recently held its annual conference in Pittsburgh, where UDECU was named the 2022 Collegiate EMS Organization of the Year and UD received recognition as a HEARTSafe Campus.

UDECU was represented at the conference with 34 members, the highest showing of delegates to this conference among more than 80 collegiate EMS organizations.

As the 2022 College EMS Organization of the Year, UDECU was honored for demonstrating outstanding service to the campus.

In addition, UD joined 10 other colleges and universities in being recognized as a HEARTSafe Campus, which signifies that there is a vibrant campus-based emergency response organization.

HEARTSafe Campuses promote and support:

• Rapid response by CPR and AED trained first responders
• Rapid public access to defibrillation
• Early access to advanced care
• Public CPR and AED training for the community
• Engagement in preventative cardiovascular healthcare activities

This program holds up quality campus-based EMS organizations as examples to other campuses as a means to improve overall cardiac arrest care. The initiative designating college communities as “HeartSafe Campuses” was developed by NCEMSF, with support from HEARTSAFE Communities, the American Heart Association, the Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation and industry partners.

“To say I am proud does not even being to describe how I feel about this great group of young adults,” said Robin Tsang, master corporal in UD Police who oversees UDECU. “I have been very blessed to have the opportunity to work with such dedicated and committed students. They motivate me everyday and inspire me to be the best version of myself. They definitely deserve this and more.”

NCEMSF supports, promotes and advocates for emergency medical services on college and university campuses and is committed to the advancement of existing response groups and assisting in the development of new response groups. 

Formed at UD in 1976, UDECU provides emergency medical care to individuals on the UD campus and in the neighboring communities and is staffed by dedicated student volunteers who undergo a rigorous training process to become nationally certified EMTs.

For more information, visit the UDECU website.