Event Standby
The College of Charleston EMS is available to provide medical standby for both College of Charleston and community events. Priority will always be given to events on the College of Charleston campus, so please contact us early with the details of your events.
Our teams can staff your event in a variety of ways depending on the type of event or venue in which it is held. The following descriptions are designed to give you a basic idea of our capabilities, but we can weet with you to discuss what will work best for your event and venue.
First Aid Station
CofC EMS can provide medical services for events with fixed first aid stations, such as the medical treatment room at TD Arena or other large venues, or at outdoor events with first aid tents. Our staff will work with you to determine the number and location of first aid stations, as well as what equipment will be provided on site. Each first aid station will be staffed with a minimum of one EMT.
EMT / Non-Transport Coverage
CofC EMS can provide a dedicated medical provider or team to standby at special events. The EMT(s) will possess the equipment to begin life sustaining care or stabilize traumatic injuries should an emergency occur during the event. The EMT(s) can also provide basic first aid as required. Solo medical provider coverage is normally used when a transport ambulance response is only minutes away, and at indoor events where the environment and climate is controlled and the likelihood of a serious or life threatening injury is minimal.
Medical Bike Teams
EMS bicycles can quickly and safely navigate through highly congested areas at outdoor events and provide immediate patient care in situations where an ambulance might be delayed or inaccessible due to the location or type of venue. Each bicycle or bicycle team is equipped with lifesaving equipment such as AEDs, oxygen, airway and trauma supplies that can be used to treat a variety of traumatic and medical emergencies. Our bicycle units are generally deployed as a team, but may consist of a solo EMT if other EMS resources are in use at the event.
Ambulance Standby
CofC EMS can provide ambulance standby for various campus and community events. During on-campus events, your organization can request that the on-duty crew stand by at your event as available. These crews will remain on site at your event unless called upon to transport a spectator or participant. Every effort will be made to fill this gap in coverage with other on-duty EMS crews.
Scheduling Information
Crews will plan to be in place 30 minutes prior to the start of the event unless you request an earlier arrival time. Crews will remain on site until the majority of spectators have departed at the event termination, or until released by the event coordinator. All time spent on-site will be billed, but travel to and from the event will not be charged. Please note that there is a 2 hour minimum for all events and additional time will be billed in 15 minute increments.
Patients that are treated and/or transported by the College of Charleston EMS will not incur a bill or any associated fees. Should Charleston County EMS or another transport agency have to be called for patient transport, the patient will be billed directly by those agencies.
Cancellation Policy
Should your event be cancelled due to inclement weather, we require that you contact CofC Dispatch at 843-953-5609 a minimum of 2 hours prior to the scheduled event to have this message relayed to the EMS crew. Failure to provide timely notification will result in a bill for the minimum 2 hour charge. Cancellation of an event or requested service with less than 48 hours notice, which is not due to inclement weather, will also result in a bill for the minimum 2 hour charge.
In the event of a campus emergency or disaster, the standby may be cancelled or the crews recalled without notice.
Examples of Past Events:
- Charleston Marathon
- Cooper River Bridge Run
- Turkey Day Run
- Reindeer Run
- CofC Men's and Women's Rugby
- CofC Ultimate Frisbee Tournament
- ESPN Classic Basketball Tournament
- Jason Miraz Concert at TD Arena
- Spoleto USA Events
- Cougars Home Basketball Games
- Cougars Home Baseball Games
- Cougars Home Soccer Games
How to request event standby
If you are interested in having the College of Charleston EMS provide medical coverage for your special event please contact our Director of EMS at EMS-Training@cofc.edu with the following information:
- Name of Event
- Location of Event
- Date and Times
- Expected Attendance
- Special Circumstances/Hazards
