Dear Orange Friends:
One night last week I toured campus and off-campus from 11 p.m. to 1 a.m. with our very dedicated Department of Public Safety officers. I was able to see campus life at night through their eyes, riding in their cars and watching them watch out for you. We are all blessed to have experienced professionals who truly care about our students, faculty, and staff.
One stop on the tour was pretty amazing. I visited Syracuse University Ambulance (SUA) at midnight. Syracuse University Ambulance is a dedicated first-responder for emergency and non-emergency services 24 hours a day, seven days a week, during the academic year. The field supervisors, dispatchers, crew chiefs, and attendants are ALL students, ALL volunteers, and ALL professionals. They come from almost all schools and majors, and the field supervisor I met, Harrison Otterbein, is a senior finance major in the Whitman School. Kate Bunch, a SUA field trained officer, who gave me a tour, is a biology and neuroscience major in the College of Arts and Sciences. They all have thorough training, including as emergency medical technicians.
Spend an hour with these folks and you know we are in good hands in any emergency here. And all run, for more than 40 years on this campus, by students. Here is a photo of this year’s SUA senior class. No other University has as deep and competent a student-run ambulance service. Just another reason to Go Orange!
Chancellor Kent Syverud