TEMS takes on Carnival emergencies

When Peter Haskins thinks about Mardi Gras, he"s not envisioning glittering floats and marching bands. He"s planning escape routes through the parade-crazed city, so that his ambulances can rush patients to the hospital.

“It"s a lot of pressure and stress” during Carnival when you"re one of 42 student volunteers in Tulane Emergency Medical Services, said Haskins, a senior neuroscience major at Tulane University and director of TEMS.

The TEMS crew is on call with their ambulances, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, when school is in session, including during the final Mardi Gras weekend.

Finding routes to hospitals through Carnival crowds can be “like trying to part the Red Sea,” he said.

“We stay in service for the final Mardi Gras weekend so students can receive care, and the city"s emergency medical service is so swamped at that time,” Haskins said. “We do this as a comfort to students who have medical problems and need access to a free ambulance.”

The nonprofit ambulance service run by undergraduate students, who are nationally certified emergency medical technicians, is based on the university"s uptown campus. It offers emergency medical services and transport to New Orleans area hospitals free of charge for any Tulane or Loyola University student, staff member or faculty member, guest or affiliate within a specified neighborhood.

The TEMS service area extends from Napoleon Avenue to South Carrollton Avenue, and from Earhart Boulevard to the Mississippi River. TEMS can be reached through the Tulane University Police Department, 504-865-5911.

Many of the TEMS volunteers don"t stop their medical service when their Tulane shift ends. They continue their work by helping out the city"s EMS through the VIGOR program — Volunteers in Government of Responsibility.

“I"m very proud of all our members and the work we do,” Haskins said. “We"re full-time students, and we give willingly of our time.”