Virginia Tech Rescue Squad receives first place, MERIT status at national conference

Thirteen members with the Virginia Tech Rescue Squad attended the 32nd annual National Collegiate Emergency Medical Services Foundation Conference in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and won first place in the Advanced Life Support Skills Challenge, where they were given a high acuity trauma and medical scenario to test their knowledge and teamwork.  

The rescue squad’s also had its status as a HEARTSafe Campus renewed, acknowledging continuous efforts to provide CPR and Automated External Defibrillator (AED) awareness, training, rapid response, and access to the Virginia Tech community. Community outreach is a top priority of the rescue squad through community CPR, AED, and basic first aid courses.   

The rescue squad also earned the status of a MERIT (Modeling Excellence in Response, Innovation and Training) recognized agency. This is presented as a mark of distinction to an agency that shows dedication to the highest quality of emergency medical services on the basis of operations, apparatus, administration, and outreach.  

“The Virginia Tech Rescue Squad is proud to contribute to the advancement of emergency medical services at universities across the nation through our partnership with the National Collegiate Emergency Medical Services Foundation. The commendations our members received from this organization are a testament to their exceptional dedication and unwavering commitment to excellence in serving the Virginia Tech community,” said rescue squad Chief Jake Wierer.

During the conference, life member Jason Oberoi gave two case-study based lectures — one on burn management and the other on cardiac issues. Team leader Brennan Stimart presented on the use of virtual reality as a new, upcoming tool for immersive training in the field.  

The mission of the Virginia Tech Rescue Squad is to provide the highest level of emergency care to the university's students, faculty, staff, and visitors . Since its inception in 1969, the all-volunteer, student-run agency has been committed to serving the university community with the best possible emergency medical care.