Learn about the rights you deserve when EMS comes knocking
As students don hot Night of Decadence costumes and head to Wiess College, they are expecting nothing less than a great night. However, in the back of their minds might be all of those "Pre-NOD" talks by the Rice Health Advisors and reminders not to get intoxicated to the point of needing Rice Emergency Medial Services.
First, a disclaimer: This op-ed is in no way telling you when or when not to call REMS or 911. That is at your discretion, and when in doubt, you should always call for help. This is simply to provide some tips on how to get the best care possible if you or your friends need EMS and streamline the process if you do not. This statement is based on research and experiences and in no way speaks on behalf of any EMS service.
How many of you have ever had to watch your friend get EMS'ed? It can be a confusing time when REMS, dressed in black uniforms with a shiny badge and looking similar to police officers, tell you or your friend what you should do.
Recently, a few students reported being told by REMS members, "You can either go to the hospital or jail." Can your fellow peer, the person you sit next to in Organic Chemistry, truly wield that power? Did you know you can buy the same badge they wear online? How do you know what to believe?
As students head into NOD, here are four clarifications to keep in mind for yourself and your friends - some tips that REMS may not inform you of but that you have a right to know:
First, when you or your friend is having a medical emergency, you want the best care you can possibly get. Rice hires Aemstar, a private ambulance service, to be on standby for all parties, large events, and every Friday and Saturday night. The ambulance holds a lot of equipment and life-saving drugs that REMS does not carry. Also on that ambulance is a certified paramedic who has more expansive protocols than REMS and can legally do a lot more to take care of you or your friend than REMS can. That paramedic with all of his or her equipment is waiting in Rice's parking lot a few hundred feet away. During an emergency, do you want the most advanced care possible? You can choose who you want to treat you. On a Friday or Saturday night, Aemstar and REMS are almost the same distance away from you, but Aemstar has more advanced capabilities. Even if REMS approaches you to provide medical care, you can request Aemstar or the Houston Fire Department instead. All you have to do is ask for Aemstar or HFD, and the Rice University Police Department or REMS is required to call them for you so you can get the highest level of care in your time of need.
Second, if you ever have a medical emergency and you know you are going to need an ambulance or you do not want REMS to respond, call 911 and get an ambulance en route. Figure out what entrance you are closest to, and tell the dispatcher to enter there. Next, call RUPD and tell the dispatcher an ambulance is en route and which entrance you told it to use. That allows RUPD to help guide the ambulance to your location. Furthermore, if you want REMS to respond in addition to the ambulance, since REMS may be able to get there a little earlier, tell RUPD that you would also like REMS. If you do not want REMS to respond, tell RUPD you do not want REMS to respond.
Third, REMS cannot threaten "hospital or jail." Only the police can threaten jail, not a fellow student. Rice's EMS amnesty policy protects students from legal repercussions if they, not RUPD, initiated the call for help and nobody is being violent, aggressive or threatening. REMS can call RUPD, but REMS is never allowed to threaten "hospital or jail." REMS is not the police.
Finally, if you are over 18 years old, not suicidal or homicidal, and can answer simple questions such as your name, what year, month and day of the week it is, where you are and what you were doing a few minutes ago, REMS cannot force you to go to the hospital. Even if REMS calls an ambulance for you, you can still refuse to go with the ambulance. However, it may be in your best interests to go to the hospital. You may be risking your health or life by not going to the hospital, but if you are conscious enough to know the information above, it is your choice. Even though you could throw a rock across the street and hit the Memorial Hermann Hospital Emergency Room, an ambulance ride can cost around $1,000 without insurance.
Hopefully, neither you nor your friends will need EMS care, and if someone does, you will not hesitate to call for help. However, it is your right to know the above information.
Jennifer Groover is a Jones college senior and EMT-Intermediate.
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