Penn’s Medical Emergency Response Team provides valuable services. The organization treats students in need of timely pre-hospital medical attention and trains students as certified emergency personnel.
MERT is seeking to receive permission from the Office of the General Counsel for an SUV-type vehicle that would increase its access and ability to reach and provide care to students. We hope the group gets the vehicle, and we support the Undergraduate Assembly resolution passed in favor of this cause.
A vehicle would allow MERT to expand and improve its services and certification. While MERT currently uses bicycles for transportation, a vehicle would be more effective. The bikes don’t hold up well in inclement weather and can’t transport MERT members when they attend off-campus events. The bikes also have a weight limit for equipment and are more likely to be stolen than a vehicle. And not having the vehicle hinders MERT’s ability to become a 24-hour service or a state-certified Quick Response Service.
Students’ health and safety is a top priority for the entire Penn community, not just for students. Accordingly, MERT should get the green light from the University to obtain the vehicle. Support for the new vehicle would be a step in the right direction.
