Willamette University Emergency Medical Services (WEMS) is a professionally licensed EMS agency in the State of Oregon, providing Basic Life Support (BLS) to students, faculty, staff, and guests of the Willamette community. WEMS members provide quick response emergency medical care on the Willamette University Campus and immediate surrounding areas with one Supervisor EMT-Basic, and two First Responders. As a student service organization at Willamette University, WEMS provides education and training in pre-hospital emergency medical care.
WEMS was founded in 1997 by students concerned with the safety and well-being of those on campus. WEMS is an especially valuable emergency medical resource because it provides life-saving emergency medical care, while preserving the integrity and privacy of its patients. WEMS operates under a non-punitive educational response, specifically by allowing students to call for help while minimizing the consequences of outside agencies becoming involved (i.e. Salem Police Department, Salem Fire Department, Falck Ambulance, etc.). WEMS prides itself on allowing students to feel safe when calling for help and realizes that confidentiality and the preservation of private information is of the utmost importance.
WEMS is currently in a large growth phase with a large First Responder class which has recently graduated and joined the ranks. We hope to continue this growth with more students certified as EMT's and students interested in taking our First Responder certification class offered every fall semester.