* 4 s ^ # r -t ^ ^ #?^r#»#p##| ^ if Kn sV >;% !!» ^ ^\" |k sss- -igs - »t vote for him ipublican. nocratic, said e of Thornber- ' her own, she represents the al views, blican, and I y of their plat- d. “It’s hard to porting educa- . And he proba- >rt welfare and -life.” le feels like a ty on campus ry professors I’m in the mi- she said. “And professor that le, I completely ight News Editor Editor rts Editor ditor Graphics Editor :s Editor Pamela Benson, Henry, Lisa John- es Swift, Angela lei Barry, Kristina Deluca, Thomas bble, John I eBas, Mance, Sleph.inif ill , Rob Clark, Erin line Mejia, Chris i Kieran Watson mgkriwan, Amy ry Willis & Evan ubarak, Michele Goodwin, John rierado Quezacl^ I,-indy Cater, Am- KM Universily in Hirnnlism. BUT Tin; fax: :MT's goals iccomplished hrough trust Rachel Barry 'he Battalion Tcott Young and Ryan Wolford act like an old married couple. “We work very well together,” Young said. It’s been just over a year and a half since oung, an EMT-B, and Wolford, an EMT-P, met rtheir emergency medical technician class, and ow they finish each other’s sentences and talk nunison. Young describes their relationship as “screwy,” mtthe tag-team joking stops when they are called lit for an emergency. On call, we are very serious,” Young said. There are no jokes. It’s all business.” Snug in the basement of A. P. Beutel Health lenter, the Squad Room is where Wolford and king wait, knowing that to getting comfortable bring on the inevitability of an emergency all. Until then, they wait — and joke. We always know when to have a good time,” Word said. Having a good time, Wolford said, is a product iftheir close friendship. Being on a call is all busi- ss, Young said. The patient is the highest responsibility — no matter what,” Young said. As an EMT-B, Young is trained in basic life-sav ing techniques, and Wolford, as an EMT-P, is a paramedic trained in advanced life-saving tech niques. Together, they work as if they are ap pendages of the same body, communicating with a tonnection that is apparent in everything they do. Starting an i.v. in a patient while barreling down the road requires an exceptional amount of trust in the person driving the ambulance, Wolford said. He said seeing Young develop as EMT has given him the ability to have full trust in him on a call. “That is a luxury I have with Scott,” he said. “I don’t blindly place trust in him. I have damn good reason to trust him. I willingly trust him because I bow bis ability.” If a problem arises, Wolford said, it can be easi ly solved. “The fact that we’re friends makes it easier to appreciate our differences and appreciate our simi- /an’ties as well,” he said. Watching them take care of a patient, it is evi- int what they share most is the ability to work together to ease the physical and emotional pain of someone in need. They are always aware of how the patient feels, asking questions every few sec onds and talking the patient through every single thing they do. Wolford said one of the most sacred rules in dealing with a patient is not to lie to them about their condition or what the paramedic is doing. “You start lying to people,” he said, “and you’ve lost your trust. Young, as he often does, finishes Wolford’s sentence. “You lose your trust,” he said, “and then you’ve lost it all,” he said. Wolford said gaining patient’s trust can some times be accomplished by something as simple as putting his hand on their shoulder and talking to Working on campus and sharing the bond of being a student also helps the patients feel more comfortable, he said. “They see our Aggie rings, and they can imme diately come down to our level and identify with us,” he said. “It makes you feel needed. It’s in credible to be able to ease someone’s pain just by showing up.” Young and Wolford said they are not easing ople's pain for monetary rewards or resume ma terial. Their time spent with Emergency Medical Services is strictly voluntary. Juggling classes, 14- hour shifts on weekends and other jobs, their com mitment to EMS comes from the desire to help other people. “You’re giving something to the University that no one else can,” Wolford said. Wolford said being an EMT offers the opportu nity to never have the same kind of day at work. “It’s about complete independence and chaos,” he said. “My job will never be the same every day.” The chaos of a call may snap the two into a se rious mode; and the severity of a patient’s condi tion may shake their day, but Wolford said they never lose the ability to joke. “If we didn’t play around, we would go insane,” hesaid. “It’s the only way you can deal with it.” Rony Angkriwan, The Battalion |uan Hernandez during his patrol. ITnHT^ Lmhi JLi I I I and C T D C MC O JLKt No Rony Angkriwan, The Bateaijon Texas A&M Emergency Medical Services has three full-service ambulances. Left: Juan Hernandez, a senior psychology major, prepares an ambulance for his EMS ride. Hernandez has worked for Texas A&M Emergency Medical Services for three semesters. Rony Angkriwan, The Battalion Kristi Hosea, an officer for the University Police Department and Class of '87, prepares for her patrol of the campus. UPD officers serve, protect A&M campus By Libe Goad and Alex Walters The Battalion T hey were once the Batmen of campus, re sponding to a beacon of light atop the Academ ic Building. Now, they patrol the streets of Texas A&M, keeping the campus safe for the city within a city. They are the women and men of the University Police Department. Throughout the week, UPD officers can be spotted on campus patrolling in their blue Chevy Caprices, stopping to make sure build ings are secure and scouting out any suspi cious-looking people. Kristi Hosea, a UPD officer and a 1987 A&M graduate, offered a look into the workings of the UPD from inside her car. Hosea’s one-hour patrol through campus gave little insight to how campus police deal with crises. With the exception of pulling someone over for a broken taillight, the shift passed without a complication. Hosea said that, even on a slow night, she rarely gets lonely while patrolling around the University. “There’s enough to keep us occupied,” she said, “and there’s a radio.” When Hosea stopped at a stop sign in front of DeWare Field House and waited to move on, a pedestrian scoffed. “Oh, it’s just the University police,” the pedes trian said. Hosea said people react differently to her presence. Some scoff, but most are apprecia tive of her help. “In general, [the response] is very good,” Hosea said. Elmer Schneider, assistant director of UPD, said people should respect the work of the campus police. “They don’t know what type of work that the campus police officer has to face today,” Schnei der said. “They face the same types of crime that any police officer faces.” Rony Angkriwan, The Battalion • Rony Angkriwan, The Battalion Kristi Hosea on her hour-long patrol. During the tour, Hosea explained the job of a UPD officer, detailing the problems that might arise on a routine patrol. On any given night, a UPD officer could deal with traffic violations, theft, break-ins and serving as reinforcements for the College Station Police Department. - For instance, UPD officers recently came to the rescue of the College Station Police De partment, who were trying to break up a brawl on Northgate. Hosea said since the nearest College Station patrolman was on Southwest Parkway, the UPD jumped in to help. UPD carries the same authority as the Bryan and College Station Police Departments. Like the city police officers, UPD officers carry guns and can make arrests in College Station and Bryan. UPD officers can issue citations and detain or arrest offenders in any county that has A&M property. Schneider said it takes a special type of person to carry these responsibilities. “It takes a diplomat to move between the vari ous strata,” he said. Hosea said the root of good police work involves honed communication skills. “It’s all in how you deal with people,” she said. Her nine years of experience make Hosea seem calm and confident, yet serious while discussing the demands of her job. “The stress levels are highly concentrated, but sporadic and short-lived,” she said. As far as being a woman on the UPD force is concerned, Hosea said she makes the adjustments necessary to do her job. “If it doesn’t work one way,” she said, “well do it a different way to make it work.” Hosea said people should not underestimate her abilities as an officer because she is a woman. “You have to know what your strengths and weaknesses are,” she said. “You use that to your advantage.” UPD officers like Hosea were commissioned for the first time at A&M in 1968. Schneider said that before then, A&M hired night watchmen to keep a watchful eye on A&M. “The watchmen had a certain amount of time to walk their beat, and they had to punch in to show they made the check at the building,” Schneider said. When trouble arose, they looked to the Presi dent’s Moon for help. The Moon was a light set on top of the Academic Building. Like the citizens of Gotham calling for Batman’s help, the shining light summoned the watchmen to call the office. Now, UPD officers remain a radio call away.