UA Recap: UA approved MERT's request for funds for a vehicle

At its weekly meeting Sunday night, the Undergraduate Assembly unanimously passed a resolution to support the Medical Emergency Response Team in its request to the Office of the General Counsel for permission to obtain an SUV-type vehicle.

MERT Chief and College and Wharton senior Sourav Bose said the team currently uses bikes — which the team would continue to use where efficient and appropriate — to get to students in need, but that the bikes, among other shortcomings, fail in poor weather and can’t transport the team when they attend an off-campus event.

“We’d be able to serve the Penn community in a greater fashion,” Bose said.

MERT also aims to become a 24-hour service, and a vehicle would help secure the equipment. The bikes are subject to being stolen along with any equipment attached to them, and can only hold 70 pounds of equipment.

The medical emergency response teams of “just about every peer institution to Penn” operate a motor vehicle, Bose said.

MERT also aims to become certified by the EMS as a Quick Response Service in the state of Pennsylvania. The qualifications to become certified are set to shift in the next year, and not having a vehicle might mean that MERT won’t qualify under the new regulations, Bose said.

UA College Representative and College senior Ali Huberlie, who is also the chairwoman of the Student Activities Council, expressed her disappointment that MERT has been supported by SAC but not yet by the University.

“I think that it’s high time for the UA to really take a stance on this and to use what we have to try to get this conversation going,” UA President and College senior Matt Amalfitano said.

The body also voted to grant TEDxPenn $1,500 of contingency funds to help fund their conference this Friday. TED, a nonprofit organization, is devoted to “Ideas Worth Spreading.” The group had already received funding from Social Planning and Events Committee Connaissance and Microsoft but came up short when venue plans fell through. After much debate, the UA voted unanimously to grant the contingency request.

The Assembly also elected College sophomore Jon Monfred as the third member to the Budget Committee, filling the spot vacated by Wharton sophomore Hunter Horsley who resigned earlier this month.

Editor's note: This article has been corrected to reflect that MERT is seeking permission from the Office of the General Counsel, not funds.

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