Ready for anything: HERU volunteers rush to the scene
They have huge backpacks. They are constantly seen sprinting through campus. Who are they? The Ghostbusters? Neo's team from The Matrix? CSI: Baltimore? Guess again. They're part of the Hopkins Emergency Response Organization known as "HERO." It's a student- run volunteer Emergency Medical Service (EMS) unit that provides coverage for the Johns Hopkins University Homewood Campus and surrounding areas. Staffed and run entirely by students, HERO is a member of the National Collegiate Emergency Medical Services Foundation (NCEMSF), which includes a variety of other schools, such as Cornell University and Indiana University. HERO also operates the Hopkins Emergency Response Teaching Unit (HERTU), which teaches classes in CPR, First Aid and Emergency Response. Susan Boswell, dean of student life, is the advisor for the organization.