More information will be posted here when it becomes available.
Penn Alternative Response Unit (AR-1)
Schedule: Wednesdays through Saturdays from 6 p.m. to 4 a.m.
Location: Penn patrol zone – between 30th to 43rd Streets and Market Street to Baltimore Avenue.
Dial 215-573-3333 for medical, fire, or other emergency response within the Penn patrol zone.
The University of Pennsylvania has partnered with the Philadelphia Fire Department on an innovative public-private program designed to encourage Penn students to call for emergency medical help by removing disciplinary and financial barriers to access care.
Students with non-traumatic injuries — from sprained ankles to intoxication and other medical conditions — will receive high-quality care and hospital transportation in the PFD’s alternative response unit instead of an ambulance. The alternative unit is a marked SUV staffed by a paramedic lieutenant and an emergency medical technician. The AR-1 team works collaboratively with Penn’s student-run Medical Emergency Response Team (MERT) and Penn Police officers.
Using the vehicle designated AR-1 to handle these types of calls also frees up ambulances to respond to more serious cases throughout the city. The PFD has 55 medic units that respond to about 800 EMS incidents every day in Philadelphia.
“The purpose of this partnership is to address low-acuity medical incidents of all types on the Penn campus,” said Fire Commissioner Adam K. Thiel. “So if a student rolls their ankle in an Ultimate Frisbee game, the ARU will respond, if available, to care for and transport that student so PFD can release an ambulance for other calls.”
AR-1 operates Wednesdays through Saturdays from 6 p.m. to 4 a.m. within the boundaries of the Penn Patrol zone: between 30th Street and 43rd Street, and between Market Street and Baltimore Avenue. AR-1 is also available for educational programming and response.