Every day, thousands of elementary-aged children are taught about the everyday heroes: fire fighters, police officers and medics. Local tragedies, from a small car accident to a house fire, and disasters, from 9-11 to Hurricane Katrina, similarly remind adults how important these individuals are to our society. UD's Rescue Squad (UDRS) is one such set of these people helping and saving groups and individuals. Except to individuals unfortunate enough to need their services, UDRS may not be what a student first thinks about when looking for heroes around campus. However, they are an important part of UD.

This critical group is a staple of our community for several reasons. The primary reason is obvious: They provide an important service to all people within our borders, one which is crucial to a demographic composed of often too care-free young people. Unlike UD Police, though, UDRS is a student-operated service; students give up their own personal time to help protect their peers. They're also a staple on campus because of their addition to the UD community; the UDRS house is physically located in the Ghetto, which is the epicenter of our community, and similarly provide a service found in almost every community in America, legitimizing our own little world as a functioning neighborhood.

Furthermore, UDRS is a nationally recognized safety squad. This organization is another thing that aids the community feeling at Dayton because it is a superb program whose sole mission is for its members to protect their own peers and aid them in emergencies.

However, UDRS is not as recognized by an average student, possibly because of one common misconception. The Rescue Squad is not out to scold or punish individuals. Too many medical and safety issues go uncared for because students are too afraid that the Rescue Squad will punish them for creating the unsafe situation and therefore decide not to call for help when necessary for themselves or their friends.

This problem must be addressed. Individuals need to take a big first step and realize that they are too unfit to make a sound decision regarding the safety and health of themselves of their friends due to chemical influence or high personal emotions tied to the situation.

In other words, it is unnecessary and illogical to not call for help if needed. There is no reason for a student to feel unsure about asking for help when it is needed; UDRS is here to help us, not hurt our reputation or standing in the eyes of the university.

Students appreciating and showing an increased respect for UDRS is a necessity. The students who participate in this organization and provide the priceless service hold an often thankless position with regard to the general student population. The student body can change this and needs to remember that thanks does not need to be given only if or when they themselves are put in the position to take advantage of the service.