Geneseo First Response seeking new volunteers
Geneseo First Response (GFR) is seeking new volunteers for the 2022-23 academic year. Applications opened at the beginning of the semester and are set to close on Sept. 30. Students can apply on the college’s website.
According to Chief of Operations and junior biology major Madison Geddes, GFR is a student-run, volunteer-based emergency medical service that serves the campus community in tandem with local Geneseo emergency services. While student volunteers are not expected to perform all of the duties of an official emergency medical service, they play a critical role by being the first on the scene to 911 calls on campus.
“Anytime there’s a 911 call, we respond first. We’re there to stabilize people, especially critical patients. We don’t transport patients, but it’s really helpful because we take five to ten minutes to get on scene, while Livingston County can take up to 25 minutes to get on scene. So, if somebody’s really sick or really hurt, we’re there first,” said Geddes.
Geddes encouraged any student interested to apply. “We’re always looking for new people,” she said. “Right now, our application is open and we’re highly encouraging everyone to apply if they are interested at all. A lot of kids who want to become doctors and kids who want to go into medicine usually end up joining, but we have such a wide variety of people. When I first joined, a lot of the kids in my new member class were bio majors, but we also have education majors, history majors, and our chief from last year was an accounting major.”
The GFR page on the college’s website contains a Google form application through which potential volunteers can submit their contact information and enter the application process.
Geddes emphasized the importance of teamwork and team bonding during the GFR interview and selection process. New members undergo both group and individual interviews in addition to basic life support and emergency medical technician (EMT) certification.
“After [initial applications] everyone gets a group interview so that we can see how well they work as a team, because EMS is a lot of teamwork. From there, they get chosen for an individual interview and we see if they’re a good fit for our agency,” she said. “If we think that they’d be super helpful, they’re placed as a new member in a new member class. As a new member, there’s a six week new member probationary period, which is basically six weeks where they learn more about our agency and learn basic first aid skills.”
There are no restrictions on who can apply to be a GFR volunteer, but volunteers are required to complete 144 hours of on-call time each semester, a prospect that Geddes said can be daunting for new members: “People are usually very intimidated when I say it requires 144 hours, but they also have to remember that while I’m sitting here on call right now, I did my homework for today. I went to classes all day, then I got a call and I left and came right back to class. So, it’s really not as bad as you think it is. Most of the time you’re really just going about your normal day in a fancy uniform with the pager, but you have to be ready to go at all times.”
Geddes said that her professors have always been very understanding about volunteers leaving classes to respond to an incident on campus, and that her time in GFR has positively impacted her experiences at Geneseo.
“I haven’t had a problem with a professor at all. Usually, the pager doesn’t interrupt anybody too much, and then you just get up and leave. Sometimes people leave all their stuff, I try to grab my stuff depending on what time the class is ending. And I haven't had a problem yet because everyone is very appreciative that we're on campus and we’re keeping people safe,” she said.
Head to the Geneseo website to apply to be a member of Geneseo First Response!