The Quinnipiac EMT’s taught the foot guard the foot guard, an historic state military organization formed in New Haven in 1775, compressions, AED use and bleeding control for emergency situations.

“The number one cause of death after a traumatic injury is bleeding so learning how to stop the bleed in a critical moment can easily save a life,” said Quinnipiac EMS Captain Madison Murphy '22, MS ‘23. “The heartsaver course was designed by The American Heart Association. Heartsaver classes are geared to provide an average bystander with no background in medical training with a foundational understanding of CPR, AED and first aid.”

Quinnipiac EMS has more than a dozen trained basic life support instructors who are eligible to teach a variety of courses in CPR, AED, first aid and advanced cardiovascular life support.

“As members of the Second Company Foot Guard, it is imperative that they are equipped with the necessary life-saving skills in the case of an emergency,” Murphy said. “With this foundational knowledge in compressions, AED use and bleeding control, these men can be a true asset in times of crisis.”

After the courses were taught, Lieutenant Steven Allison, of the Connecticut Second Company Governor’s Foot Guard, sent Quinnipiac EMS a letter of commendation. The letter highlighted the students’ knowledge, dedication and compassion when teaching the courses.

“Being able to go and teach CPR to the foot guard was a great experience,” said EMS Instructor Abigail Crowell '25. “The military department volunteers are amazing people that I am grateful to have met. Their enthusiasm for the course and interest in improving their skills made for an enjoyable learning experience for everyone involved. I hope that as an organization we will have more opportunities to work with the foot guard in the future.”

Not only has Quinnipiac EMS taught the foot guard, but they also worked with the Hamden Community Emergency Response Team to certify their members in a BLS provider course. The team is also currently working with the Quinnipiac Student Nursing Association to certify the entire sophomore and senior nursing classes in basic life support, advanced cardiovascular life support and pediatric advanced life support.  

Murphy hopes Quinnipiac EMS can continue to strengthen its relationships within the Quinnipiac community and build more partnerships outside of the university.

“To date, Quinnipiac EMS has certified more than 300 people in CPR and nearly 100 people in Stop the Bleed,” she said. “At the 2022 National Collegiate Emergency Medical Services Foundation Conference, Quinnipiac was awarded the distinction of being a HEARTSafe campus, indicating that at least 10% of our campus community members were certified in CPR. This is an amazing accomplishment that wouldn’t be possible without our dedication and motivated team of instructors who volunteer their time to make Quinnipiac and the community a better place.”