Emergency Information

In case of an emergency, dial x6000 from any on-campus phone, 713-348-6000 from any cellular phone, or use any blue-light emergency phone. If you are off-campus and need emergency assistance, dial 911 to contact the local fire/EMS department.

It is your DUTY to call. Our student’s health and safety is of primary concern in cases of possible alcohol intoxication or alcohol-related injury. Under Rice’s Amnesty Policy, REMS’ duty is to provide medical assistance, not to report violations of policy. Click here for more information on Amnesty Policy.

What happens after I call x6000?

REMS/RUPD Dispatch will ask basic questions about the situation:

Provide a concise description. Indicate the severity of the problem. A hand bleeding from a small scrape is a different scenario than a hand bleeding from a stab wound. If the emergency is medical in nature (nausea, chest pain, dizziness), it may be helpful to provide the age of the patient.

Provide the exact location. Try providing as a specific a location as possible. The “fourth floor of Fondren Library near call number DA89” is more helpful than “Fondren Library.” It is also a good idea to have someone waiting outside the building to help direct REMS/RUPD to the scene.

Wait for dispatch before hanging up. NEVER go offline before until the dispatcher does.

What should I do before REMS arrives?

Dispatch will send a request for REMS. Generally, 1 Duty Crew EMT and 1 EMS incharge will respond; RUPD may also be dispatched, depending on the nature of the emergency. In the meantime:

Remain calm. Rice EMTs are well-trained, and have plenty of experience helping injured and sick patients. They have literally saved lives on numerous occasions, and will be prepared to take on any situation.

Provide First Aid. If you or someone else on the scene has first aid training, try to help the patient. However, NEVER attempt to do anything that you have not been trained to do, or feel uncomfortable doing.

Leave the scene if it is unsafe. If there is ANY threat to your safety, (fire, violent person, chemical spill, etc.) leave immediately. If you can safely help remove the injured person from the scene, do so, but your safety comes first. It is vital that you tell dispatch if there is any safety threat, otherwise EMT’s may be harmed and this will prevent delivery of care.

What happens when REMS arrives on the scene?

REMS establishes patient contact. The In-charge may request additional assistance as needed.

REMS will assess the patient and treat any problems found. For all patients’ safety and well-being, Rice EMS always recommends that patients seek further medical attention at a hospital using hospital transport.

Does the patient need to go to the hospital?

YES: If the situation is serious or if the patient explicitly requests, Rice EMS can dispatch an ambulance for transport. Dispatch will contact HFD directly. RUPD will guide HFD units to the appropriate location. REMS will continue to treat the patient until transfer of patient care upon HFD’s arrival.

REMS and RUPD offer their services free of charge; however, Rice has no control over costs incurred by HFD transport. Patients transported by HFD should be expected to be billed for that service (insurance should assist in the payment.) If you cannot pay the fee and your insurance does not cover ambulance transport, HFD has a no-interest payment plan available.

NO, if and only if: a competent patient exercises their right to refuse further medical treatment (after an assessment of the patient’s competency has thoroughly been performed).

If the injury or problem is minor, there are alternatives. REMS always recommends ambulance transport, as that is the safest option for our patients; for minor injuries (twisted ankle, minor laceration, etc.), patients may arrange their own transportation plan to receive further health care.