Duke University EMS

What Duke University EMS does

Duke University EMS (DUEMS) is an all-volunteer, student-run Basic Life Support emergency medical services agency that operates as a division of the Duke University Police Department in Durham, North Carolina. Founded in 1993 by Matt Womble, Tim Pieh, and Sacha Picard and serving the campus since Spring 1994, the organization provides event medicine coverage at all Duke home football and basketball games and other large campus events such as LDOC, P-checks, and tailgates, under the medical oversight of Duke Life Flight. Its roster comprises approximately 30 state-certified EMTs who are credentialed at the EMT-Basic level at minimum, with some members trained at Advanced EMT and Paramedic levels; the unit is licensed as a North Carolina BLS agency and maintains continuing education programs for its members.

The organization's core offerings span four product surfaces: (1) free event medical stand-bys staffed by DUEMS crews, with organizations paying only for dedicated crew coverage at preplanned events; (2) American Heart Association-certified CPR/AED and First Aid training courses at the BLS level, priced at $40-$70 per course (with discounts for Duke undergraduates); (3) non-certifying Hands-Only CPR and First Aid awareness training for groups, scaled to 1,000+ students trained in 2022-2023; and (4) a Campus AED Registry compiled in partnership with Duke Emergency Management, listing AED locations across 40+ campus buildings. DUEMS also facilitates EMT-Basic training through Durham Tech and access to Advanced Life Support courses for its members.

DUEMS's business model is non-commercial and mission-driven. Primary funding flows from the Duke University Police Department budget, supplemented by event-coverage fees, donations (which are explicitly not tax-deductible) from family, friends, students, faculty, and alumni, and modest course fees. The organization has no external investors or venture capital backing, no app, no API, and no disclosed revenue figures. Its 2017 HEARTsafe Campus recognition — making Duke one of only 25 such campuses nationally — and 20+ years of continuous service are its principal reputational assets. Distribution is direct to the Duke campus via event stand-bys and on-campus training, with alumni outreach maintained through newsletters and a Facebook group.

Name

Duke University EMS

Legal name

Duke University EMS

Website

https://dukeems.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Duke University EMS is an all-volunteer, student-run Basic Life Support agency operating as a division of the Duke University Police Department, providing event medical coverage at Duke athletic and campus events and American Heart Association-certified CPR/First Aid training to the Duke and Durham community.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Emergency Medical Services

NAICS

Ambulance Services (621910), Professional and Management Development Training (611430)

SIC

Services-Health Services (8000), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Emergency Medical Services (EMS) & Ambulance Services (BPAIAGAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

EMS Education, Training & Simulation Centers (HLAFANAL), Emergency Medical Services (EMT/Paramedic) Training (EDAOAMAC), Emergency Management, Disaster Response & Incident Command Training (EDAOAMAD)

Keywords

• Emergency medical services
• Event medical coverage
• CPR certification training
• Basic life support
• First aid training

Headquarters

HQ city

Durham

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Institutional Funding: Primary funding source is the Duke University Police Department. DUEMS is a subsidiary of Duke Police with a finance officer managing the budget, procuring funding, and allocating resources.
2. Event Coverage Fees: DUEMS charges organizations for providing a dedicated crew at preplanned events, particularly athletic and large campus events.
3. Donations: Accepts donations and gifts from family, friends, students, faculty, and alumni. Donations are not tax-deductible but help recruit and train new members, upgrade vital equipment, and expand impact.
4. CPR/First Aid Training Fees: Charges fees for CPR and First Aid certification courses: $50 for general public ($40 for Duke undergraduates), with group pricing ranging from $20-$30 for non-certifying courses.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Duke University EMS provides Basic Life Support event medical coverage at Duke University athletic events (all home football and basketball games), campus activities, and preplanned stand-bys, operating under medical oversight of Duke Life Flight. The organization also delivers American Heart Association-certified CPR/AED and First Aid training courses to the Duke community and Durham public, coordinates an EMT-Basic class through Durham Tech, and publishes a campus-wide AED registry in partnership with Duke Emergency Management.

Product overview

Duke University EMS is an all-volunteer, student-run division of Duke Police that provides event medical services at Duke University. The core offering is event medical coverage at football and basketball games, supplemented by American Heart Association certifying and non-certifying CPR/First Aid training courses, EMT Basic training coordination with Durham Tech, a campus-wide AED Registry, and continuing education programs for EMT members. The organization operates under the medical supervision of Duke Life Flight and serves as an American Heart Association-certified Training Site at the Basic Life Support level.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Event Medical Services On-site Basic Life Support event medical coverage for Duke University athletic games, campus activities, LDOC, P-checks, tailgates, and preplanned special events. Provided by an all-volunteer team of ~30 state-certified EMTs under medical oversight of Duke Life Flight.
• Heartsaver CPR AED

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 1000 students trained in Hands-Only CPR in 2022-2023
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Duke Life FlightcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMedical oversight provider for Duke University EMS operations. Duke Life Flight is Duke University Medical Center's Critical Care Transport Agency. DUEMS operates under their medical supervision, providing event medicine services for Duke Football and Basketball. This partnership provides members extensive access to educational opportunities in the Duke Emergency Department and with critical care staff.
• Duke University Police DepartmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDUEMS is a subsidiary of Duke Police. Police Department provides primary funding for DUEMS budget, manages finance and resource allocation. All calls on campus are also responded to by Duke Police.
• Durham TechcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFacilitates EMT-Basic training through semester-long courses taught at Durham Tech. Also facilitates placement in advanced life support classes for DUEMS members including Advanced-EMT and EMT-Paramedic courses.
• Durham County EMScoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCounty-run Advanced Life Support transporting agency with primary responsibility for responding to 911 calls in Durham County, including on Duke's campus. Durham Fire Department may also respond to life-threatening calls.
• American Heart AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDUEMS is an American Heart Association-certified Training Site at the Basic Life Support Level, offering certifying classes in CPR/AED and First Aid.
• Duke Emergency ManagementminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated to compile the list of AEDs on Duke's campus for bystander access during CPR emergencies.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• American Red Cross: National CPR/First Aid training provider and indirect competitor to Duke EMS's community training offerings. Comparable in the training product category but operates at a much larger scale across multiple geographies.
• American Heart Association: Umbrella certifying body that Duke EMS operates under as a Training Site. Relevant because AHA's CPR/First Aid/BLS curriculum and brand reputation underpin Duke EMS's training revenue stream.

Direct peers

• Johns Hopkins Emergency Response Unit (ERU): Johns Hopkins University's student-run EMS organization. Directly comparable as a peer university BLS-level campus EMS with training programs and event coverage.
• University of Pennsylvania Medical Emergency Response Team (MERT): Penn's student-run volunteer EMS organization. Directly comparable in mission, operating model, and offering of event medicine, CPR training, and campus emergency response at an Ivy League institution.
• Virginia Tech Rescue Squad: One of the oldest collegiate EMS organizations in the country, providing volunteer emergency response and event coverage at Virginia Tech. Highly comparable operating model and service scope.
• UNC Chapel Hill EMS: Student volunteer EMS serving the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Direct peer in the same state, with analogous event coverage, training programs, and campus-based delivery model.
• Emory Emergency Medical Services: Student-run volunteer EMS providing campus response and event coverage at Emory University. Closely comparable structure and service mix to Duke EMS, including BLS-level care and community training.
• NC State University Emergency Medical Services: Student-run volunteer EMS at NC State University. Directly comparable in North Carolina collegiate EMS delivery, including event stand-by and CPR training offerings.
• Georgetown University Emergency Medical Response Service (GERMS): Georgetown University's student-run volunteer EMS organization. Directly comparable as a collegiate BLS-level EMS agency providing event coverage and community training on a private university campus.

Regional players

• Durham County EMS: County-run Advanced Life Support transporting agency that holds primary 911 responsibility on Duke's campus. Directly comparable in service category but operates at a larger geographic and clinical scope, serving as both partner and informal competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/groups/dukeemsalumni
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/immunohealth

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Duke University EMS