Health & Wellness
Emergency Medical Services

About

Brown University Emergency Medical Services provides services on the Brown campus and for remote student or academic occupancies in Providence.

Founded by students in 1978, Brown University Emergency Medical Services (BEMS) is a blended volunteer/paid collegiate ambulance service licensed by the State of Rhode Island to provide 24/7 basic and advanced prehospital care to anyone requesting emergency aid through the Brown emergency number, 401-863-4111. EMS is located in the Health & Wellness Center at 450 Brook Street. 

BEMS is unique in its programs and mission as a collegiate ambulance corps. Our mission is:

  • to provide outstanding and confidential prehospital patient care
  • to promote emergency training to the Brown community
  • to foster a strong didactic and clinical education experience for student EMTs. 

BEMS is a Rhode Island-licensed ambulance service with both basic and advanced life support capabilities. 

As a department of Health and Wellness at Brown, BEMS prioritizes response availability for students whenever possible but will respond to all medical emergencies within the Brown community. In addition to providing the highest level of care to the Brown campus, BEMS is an important leadership development and clinical training ground for student volunteers.

Who We Are

BEMS is staffed primarily by Brown University undergraduate students who are state-licensed prehospital providers, including EMTs, advanced EMTs and paramedics. EMS personnel are trained and equipped to provide the same level of services as other state EMS agencies, and all EMT and advanced staff are certified by the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians. 

Student staff engage in both clinical and administrative partnerships with professional staff who provide continuous skill and leadership reinforcement. This partnership extends beyond ambulance operations to ancillary services that support specific needs such as event medical coverage or logistical support within the campus community. During major campus events such as Spring Weekend and Commencement, BEMS operates with a modified incident command structure to ensure the safety of large numbers of participants and guests. Additionally, BEMS offers CPR and First Aid courses to the general population.

Why Collegiate EMS?

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BEMS professional and student staff members have a strong knowledge of the campus environment and the individuals we serve, in particular the unique needs and challenges that students may experience.  As a campus with a population of approximately 10,000 students, as well as nearly 5,000 employees, Brown University is a community in and of itself. By providing support locally, BEMS can help to balance our community’s reliance on municipal services and offer campus-tailored services not otherwise available to students.

 

Patient Privacy

In accordance with the U.S. Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and Rhode Island state law, if the patient is age 16 years or older, BEMS will not share their medical information with others. All care is kept confidential.

1,000

calls annually

100

licensed EMT volunteers

8

professional EMS providers on staff

BEMS Emergency Vehicles

BEMS maintains and operates the following vehicles:

Level A1-A transport vehicle — 2015 Ford E450 with AEV TraumaHawk ambulance body
Level A1-A transport vehicle — 2015 Ford E450 with AEV TraumaHawk ambulance body
Level C2 non-transport vehicle — 2015 Ford Explorer
Level C2 non-transport vehicle — 2015 Ford Explorer