The start of this semester at Case Western Reserve University has been marked by a lot of changes for students, faculty and staff alike. Another change that may have an impact on the campus community is the CWRU Emergency Medical Service (EMS) base moving from the Public Safety Headquarters on Northside to a house on Murray Hill Road. This move is the most recent of two relocations that the public safety office has required of the collegiate EMS program in the past two years, and is also the most drastic.

CWRU EMS, which was recognized as the 2021 Collegiate EMS Organization of the Year by the annual National Collegiate Emergency Medical Services Foundation Conference, is a student-run, volunteer-based organization that strives to provide high-quality first-responder care for those on and around campus. In addition to basic life support (BLS) care offered at no cost to students, they also provide educational opportunities for community members, such as Stop the Bleed and CPR/First Aid courses, as well as standbys for campus sports and events.

CWRU EMS has been a valuable resource for students and staff. The operating base of the organization has moved around a few times during its nearly 20-year run with CWRU, but, since 2017, the base could be found in the basement of the Public Safety Headquarters.

Last year, Public Safety started renovations to clean the building up and to expand administrative office spaces. CWRU EMS operations were temporarily moved from the basement of the building to the third floor, with partial operations also taking place in an auxiliary building across the street from The Den by Denny’s. Renovations finished in the spring, and it was told to EMS that they would no longer have the basement to operate from, prompting their relocation.

According to the Division of Public Safety, this was because both CWRU EMS and Public Safety have grown in size, resulting in a need for more space to accommodate them both. While the Public Safety Headquarters was being renovated, CWRU EMS advisors looked for another space for the organization.

Public Safety was adamant that these changes would not impact EMS response times for the community. In fact, Public Safety said that the expansion reflects CWRU’s commitment to campus safety and security, as there is more room for campus resources, such as security officers and dispatchers in the building.

As for the building on Murray Hill Road, CWRU EMS is hopeful that it is only a temporary solution. The location faces a lot of technical issues, including poor wifi connection, no air conditioning, limited parking for the emergency vehicles, the difficulty of being in a residential area and a fraction of the space for training that the organization once had. Despite these challenges, they are trying to find long term solutions, and they are still just as dedicated to serving the community.