How one patient's death led to Florida's first university ambulance service at USF

By Paul Guzzo, University Communications & Marketing

Austin Jared witnessed how financial hardship can become a matter of life and death.

While working as an EMT and attending the University of South Florida, he responded to a call in the Tampa area involving a young person who refused ambulance transport because he was trying to save money to attend college.

"He said ambulances were too expensive," Jared said. "We got a call back out later - cardiac arrest. He died. I thought that we can do better."

That experience inspired Jared to create USF's Medical Response Unit, a free campus-based emergency medical service that launched in 2020.

Beginning this fall, through MRU, USF becomes the first Florida university licensed to operate its own ambulance service, allowing the responders to provide basic life support treatment while transporting patients.

The designation means students can receive care more quickly because the ambulance is stationed on campus, while avoiding the costs typically associated with ambulance transportation.

Jared said a basic life support ambulance ride averages about $948 before mileage charges. The MRU's service will be free. And, last year, the MRU's average response time to its estimated 300 calls was 5 minutes, 37 seconds.

"Our goal here was to be able to get hands-on help faster," Jared said. "To have MRU paramedics and EMTs and responders with medical equipment on an ambulance there to do life-saving intervention and care in those couple of minutes where minutes count."

The organization has long operated a vehicle that looked like an ambulance. But despite its appearance, the MRU was previously unable to provide medical care during transport because it was not licensed to function as an ambulance.

Obtaining the license required years of preparation and a rigorous review process.

The MRU first secured a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity from Hillsborough County, demonstrating a need for the service. It then underwent inspections and evaluations by the Florida Department of Health to ensure compliance with state requirements governing equipment, medications, facilities, protocols and operations

Jared, who attended USF from 2014 to 2018, helped launch the MRU by securing support from Student Government and recruiting volunteers. He was then hired by the university to oversee the service.

Since its founding six years ago, the student-funded service has supplemented emergency response efforts on campus, providing free medical assistance and transportation through a team of more than 30 volunteers.

While MRU responders are volunteers, they are not novices. Each must hold a professional license as a paramedic, emergency medical technician or emergency medical responder. Candidates undergo skills assessments, interviews and additional training before responding to calls.

"A lot of our volunteers come from Tampa Fire Rescue or Hillsborough County Fire Rescue," said John Beauchemin, the MRU's EMS operations coordinator, who helps oversee training, personnel and operations. "They'll have 10 to 15 years on a rescue car out there and then volunteer once a week here with us. Some are still working as paramedics and EMTs while also finding time to volunteer."

That includes Beauchemin, who continues working part time as a paramedic in Pinellas County while helping manage the MRU's growing operation.

"It is genuinely a really great to be able to just help somebody through the MRU and then be able to tell them, 'Don't worry, there's no bill,'" Beauchemin said. "We're happy to do this for the USF community."

The MRU operates Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. They can be reached at (813) 974-4MRU.

The MRU's non-emergency number should be used for non-life-threatening medical concerns such as broken bones, cold and flu symptoms, cuts requiring stitches, minor burns, nausea and abdominal pain.

It is not a replacement for 911.

Life-threatening emergencies should always immediately be reported by calling 911.

Outside of the MRU's operating hours, emergency coverage is provided by Tampa Fire Rescue and University Police.

"Regardless of what we do on campus or in the ambulance, whether we give you a Band-Aid or use epinephrine, everything that we do is entirely for free," Jared said. "No one will ever receive a bill for being treated or transported by the Medical Response Unit."