When I walked into the Rescue Squad house on Lawnview at 8 p.m. Friday to partake in what is called a 'ride-along,' I anticipated action. A lot of action.

I write for a living, and I'll be honest, there's not a whole lot of excitement in press releases about traffic construction and law school applications. Not to downplay to the purpose of the campus newspaper, because I think what I do has a lot of nobility in it. Just not a lot of blood, guts or broken bones. And, given the reputation of UD's having a reckless, intoxicated, careless student body, I knew I was in for a night of a lot of ambulance rides.

When I arrived, the squad was changing shifts and entertaining a few alumni who had come by to see the changes in the house. I was introduced to the three squad members I would be spending the night with: Victoria Pinnock, the crew chief for the night, Emily Groves and Billy O'Hara, the first and second crew members. I chatted with them for a while and then got down to business.

I was surprised at just how much these three students had to know. There were buttons, levers and speakers everywhere, and we hadn't left the front room of the house yet. They briefed me on what the emergency tones sound like when they 'drop,' where to grab the EMT jacket I was to wear on calls and where I should sit in the ambulance.

We then went out to the ambulance to do a squad check, which consisted of a thorough exam of the ambulance supplies and restocking of ones that had run low. If I was impressed by the squad knowing how to work the machines in the house, I was blown away by the details of the ambulance. My head was spinning as they showed me all kinds of medical packages and tubes and nonchalantly explained their purpose. I retained none of it, but I could appreciate the effort it must have taken to memorize everything.

Since there hadn't been any calls yet, I asked the squad members about their experiences. I was surprised to learn that, despite the general impression, most of the patients the squad sees aren't drunken students who have gone so far over the limit that they need medical attention.

'There is a stigma around that we're a 'drunk bus,' but in all reality, alcohol-related calls only make up about 13 percent of all the calls we get,' said Joe Kosmach, chief of the rescue squad.

In fact, according to squad statistics, 73 of this year's 272 calls have been injury-related, most of those coming from the RecPlex, compared to the 35 that were alcohol-related. The rescue squad also handles many other emergencies, including obstetrics, geriatrics and psychiatrics, according to Kosmach.

After my trip in the ambulance, I made a comment about how a lowly communication major like me would never be able to compete with all the pre-meds on the squad if I ever joined. I was quickly informed that although 23 percent of the squad is made up of pre-med majors, there is a high number of other fields as well, including engineering, business, education and political science.

As the hours started to pass, I started to get antsy about the fact that there hadn't been any calls. What about the reckless college students we hear so much about? When would I see some blood? And although I don't think they would have let me, I really wanted to ask if I could turn on the sirens. Actually, Kosmach told me that most of their calls are 'non-emergent,' meaning that sirens are not necessary for the short trip to the hospital. I was still going to ask.

Despite my determination to the contrary, I ended up falling asleep on the couch around 1:30 a.m., figuring that the sound of 'dropping tones,' as they are called, would wake me up in enough time to get ready for the action I knew was coming.

When I did wake up, shortly after 6:30 a.m., I was disappointed to realize that the entire night had gone by without any dropping tones. The only action I saw the whole night was when I fell on the ice walking from my car and that hardly deserved any sirens.

So it appears as though UD students are a lot more careful than they get credit for, at least on this Friday night. But I can attest that if an emergency ever does arise, the campus is secured by a team of highly trained professionals that are more than capable of handling any emergency. Even without the sirens.

To find out more about the rescue squad or to inquire about their upcoming recruitment, visit campus.udayton.edu/~squad1.