At UNC Charlotte, a passionate group of students is taking their commitment to campus safety to the next level. Led by senior Nick Maynard, the group is pushing to launch a student-led emergency medical services (EMS) team—an initiative they believe could dramatically improve medical response times and potentially save lives.
Maynard, a certified EMT and former volunteer with the now-closed Idlewild Fire Department, envisions a team of trained student EMTs who can respond quickly to emergencies on campus. Currently, UNC Charlotte relies solely on MEDIC, Mecklenburg County’s EMS provider, to handle all medical emergencies. While the university does have a fully equipped police department, officers aren’t certified to provide advanced medical care.
That delay in care is what Maynard and his peers want to change. With a growing student body and a busy campus life, emergencies can happen at any moment—and when they do, every second counts.
“We don’t want a situation in which a student has a medical emergency, and all the response units are tied up because our population is so big,” Maynard said.
Since starting the initiative, Maynard and his team have rallied support. A petition to gauge interest has already gathered nearly 300 student signatures. They’ve met with key players, including UNC Charlotte staff and the director of MEDIC, to explore what it would take to make the student EMS team a reality.
Maynard points out that UNC Charlotte would be following in the footsteps of several other North Carolina universities that already have student EMS programs. Schools like UNC Chapel Hill, Wake Forest, Duke, and Appalachian State all operate similar teams. Each of these programs requires EMT certification and intensive training, standards that Maynard fully supports for UNC Charlotte.
“They just have to have the right amount of training,” he said.
At those other universities, student EMS teams operate in close collaboration with campus police and local emergency services. They respond to calls, provide immediate care, and help stabilize patients before outside help arrives. In some cases, their quick response has made all the difference.
The students behind the UNC Charlotte initiative believe their peers can do the same. The goal isn’t to replace MEDIC or the university’s emergency infrastructure, but to support and strengthen it from within.
The group’s efforts are currently focused on building institutional support. Their next big milestone is a resolution of support expected from the Student Government Association (SGA) by next Thursday. That formal backing would mark a major step toward legitimizing the effort and opening the door to meetings with higher-level administrators, including the university’s chancellor.
Maynard hopes to speak directly with Chancellor Sharon L. Gaber about the team’s vision, challenges, and how the administration can help turn their idea into action.
As with any initiative of this scale, there are hurdles to overcome. Liability concerns, funding needs, medical oversight, equipment sourcing, and coordination with existing emergency services all require careful planning. Still, the students are confident that these are solvable problems—and they’re ready to work through them.
One proposal under consideration is launching a pilot version of the student EMS team. This limited rollout could focus on specific campus events or zones to test the concept, fine-tune logistics, and demonstrate the team’s value.
Beyond emergency response, the team would also serve an educational purpose. Students participating in the EMS team would gain hands-on experience that’s rare in undergraduate settings—experience that could be invaluable for those pursuing careers in healthcare, firefighting, public safety, or emergency management.
Maynard and his fellow organizers see this as an opportunity to build something lasting—something that continues to benefit UNC Charlotte long after they’ve graduated.
“This is about more than just us,” Maynard said. “It’s about making sure that UNC Charlotte is as safe and prepared as possible. We’re building something that can protect our friends, our classmates, and the future of this campus.”
As the campaign picks up steam and support grows, UNC Charlotte students might soon see a new kind of emergency responder on campus—one wearing a backpack, running from a dorm, and ready to help at a moment’s notice.
In the words of Maynard and his team: help is coming—and it might just be your classmate.
