Name: James Holland
Hometown: Milton, MA
School/Year: FCRH ’18
Major/Minor: Math/Econ
Campus Involvement: FUEMS, Navy ROTC
1) What made you want to join FUEMS? My mom is a nurse, and one time I saw her jump into action to help an elderly man. From then on, I knew I wanted to be able to help out like that when somebody is sick or hurt. I also joined FUEMS because I wanted to give back to the Fordham community, and this is a very hands-on way to actually help people.
2) Did you have any experience with EMS prior to coming to Fordham? Nope! I have a few friends who were EMTs, and they all told me to go for it.
3) What’s the most rewarding part of being on FUEMS? The best part of being on FUEMS is being there for people. If someone is in pain or feeling sick enough to need an ambulance, getting them to crack a smile is one of the best feelings in the world.
4) What’s the most challenging part of being on FUEMS? EMS takes a lot of focus. If the radio wakes you up at 4 in the morning, you need to be totally in the game, calm, collected, and looking professional before you arrive on scene.
5) Of the calls you’ve responded to, are the majority normal everyday accidents or do you see more alcohol related calls? A lot of people are surprised, but our most common call is for general illness. A lot of people just want to be checked out to make sure they’re okay, or want a ride to the hospital if the health center is closed.
6) How does FUEMS operate smoothly during Spring Weekend? Spring Weekend usually gives us a lot of calls, but we have two ambulances running, and we keep one of our more experienced EMTs supervising us during the DJ, Concert, and Under the Tent, and we make sure to put more experienced people on to make sure everyone stays safe when it gets hectic. Most of us only had to give up one of the events, so we still had time to go to most of the events.
7) What’s the craziest call you’ve ever responded to? Once, my crew responded to a girl who passed out at a party, and was pretty much unresponsive. We gave her an Overdose Reversal drug, and within a minute, she sat up and started talking to us. When we left the hospital, we all looked at each other, and said “We just saved a life tonight”. I’m never going to forget that feeling.
8) How do you balance your commitment to FUEMS with your demanding ROTC schedule and intense junior course load? It gets tough at times, but FUEMS lets you schedule yourself, so if I know I have a lot to do I can take a week or so off, and I know if I don’t have a busy week, somebody else does, and everyone’s always happy to take a shift if you can’t because of homework.
9) What’s your favorite way to relax when you’re not on duty? I’m on a hunt for the best dumpling in New York City, so I’ve been trying to hit all the Chinese restaurants I can. (Wo Hop in Chinatown is the best so far!)
10) What’s your favorite thing about Fordham? I love the campus, and the proximity to the city. I’ve always been a city kid, and I love exploring new places, but I also love coming back from a call at 3 AM, stopping in front of Keating and just admiring the buildings here.