Amherst College Emergency Medical Services
Request Help
To Request Help for a medical emergency on the Amherst College campus:
The Amherst College Emergency Medical Services (ACEMS) is a student-run, student-staffed, volunteer organization that operates 24 hrs/day while classes are in session. It provides Basic Life Support Quick Response (BLS/QRS) to medical emergencies on the Amherst Campus. Using the college dispatch system—which can be reached at any hour by dialing x2111 on campus—at least two Massachusetts certified Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT-B) are dispatched for all medical emergencies. If a call is thought to be of a potentially life-threatening nature or at the request of the patient, the Amherst Fire Department (AFD) Ambulance is dispatched along with ACEMS responders.
ACEMS provides transport for patients with non-life threatening conditions. Depending on which health centers are open, patients can be transported either to Amherst Health Services or University of Massachusetts Health Services. When the college health centers are closed, transport is only available through the Amherst Fire Department. For patients who require close medical supervision during transport or at the request of the patient, ACEMS will call AFD for transport to Cooley Dickinson Hospital or other hospitals as needed. For more information contact acems@amherst.edu.
Our Board of Directors and ACEMS personnel work closely with the Amherst College Health Services (AHS), University of Massachusetts Health Service (University Health Services or UHS), and the Amherst College Police Department (ACPD). However, we are not affiliated with ACPD and are strictly an emergency medical response service. A Community Safety Assistant usually responds to calls along with ACEMS in order to provide assistance or support where needed.
If you have any questions or concerns, please email us at acems@amherst.edu or reach out directly to any individual Board of Directors member. On campus, our office is located in Suite 101 of Residence Hall A.