An increase in medical emergency calls prompted the MTSU Police Department to recently begin equipping patrol officers with Anaphylaxis Emergency Kits, or AEKs, that contain EpiPens.

An increase in medical emergency calls prompted the MTSU Police Department to begin equipping patrol officers with Anaphylaxis Emergency Kits, or AEKs, like this. The kits contain EpiPens to combat severe allergic reactions. (Photo courtesy of MTSU Police)

These kits contain EpiPen epinephrine auto-injectors in two different dose sizes: one for small children and another for adults. The pens are used to combat allergic reactions that could become fatal.

MTSU officers have responded to 192 medical emergency calls this year, totaling nearly 20 percent of all calls for service received, according to a news release.

The AEKs will be used during calls that involve life-threatening cases of anaphylaxis, which is a sudden and severe allergic reaction that can cause a swelling of the tongue or throat, shortness of breath, vomiting, low blood pressure and an itchy rash.

Chief Buddy Peaster

“When it comes to medical emergencies, especially those where a student on campus may be having a sudden allergic reaction to something they ate and now they can’t breathe, time is very important,” MTSU Police Chief Buddy Peaster said of deploying the AEKs.

“We decided that it was important to equip our officers with these kits so that they could provide more help during these kinds of medical emergencies.”

The MTSU Police Department provides full-time law enforcement services for the entire Middle Tennessee State University campus and campus community. Follow the department on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @MTSUPolice.

For more information, call Officer Patrick Fajardo at 615-898-2424 or email Patrick.Fajardo@mtsu.edu.

An increase in medical emergency calls prompted the MTSU Police Department to recently begin equipping patrol officers with Anaphylaxis Emergency Kits, or AEKs, like this. The kits contain EpiPens to combat severe allergic reactions. (Photo courtesy of MTSU Police)