“I need the security that comes with knowing I’m not alone in such moments”

Last year, the WHU First Responder team did more than some might realize: They collected 231 bags of blood at three separate blood drives. They volunteered their services at numerous public events. They deployed emergency services over 200 times last year. In the twelve most urgent calls, in fact, resuscitation was necessary.

This student-run organization from WHU – Otto Beisheim School of Management is always there when help is needed, working to save lives in the most critical of moments. Tom Augustin (BSc 2026), a member of the initiative’s advisory board, spoke with us about how intense some cases can be, the logic behind the team’s new board, and his own professional aspirations.

Tom, you and your team deployed emergency services over 200 times last year and, in twelve particular cases, needed to resuscitate people. You yourself resuscitated two people last year. How do you cope with such existential situations?

It’s very important to me that I can talk things through with my team afterward. I need the security that comes with knowing I’m not alone during or after such moments. Particularly when we are on duty at major car accidents, such as the one that happened in front of the Stadthalle last year. A regular part of our job as first responders is entering into emotionally stressful situations. But the unity we have in our team helps me get through it and maintain my composure.

The initiative is growing every year. You can count 30 active and 619 passive members on the team. And, as of this year, you have an advisory board, of which you yourself are a member. What was the reasoning behind establishing this group?

It’s majorly important for our work that the knowledge we have on our team never leave our team. It’s essential that it get passed on to new members and the next cohort. Additionally, it’s important that we maintain our contact to the German Red Cross. We are also connected with the emergency services center at the Bundeswehr Central Hospital, which has already once invited us to their premises to share with us the latest treatment techniques and show us how they do things there. We cherish those relationships. And that is why we, as an advisory board, want to meet with our new board of directors each quarter and make ourselves available to assist new members, answering any questions they might have. 

“It’s important that we can offer assistance quickly”

Emergency services around Koblenz and Vallendar could benefit from some reinforcement. Your work is helping to bridge some of the gaps in the system. Let’s say I have an accident in Vallendar, for example, that I’ve taken a fall and need to call 112. Would WHU First Reponder’s team automatically show up on the scene?

We listen to each emergency call that comes in from Vallendar. As the town does not have an emergency services center of its own, we act as first-aid providers. We typically arrive on the scene about three minutes of receiving the call, often before the ambulance can get there. An ambulance can take up to fifteen minutes to arrive. And for somebody experiencing a heart attack or a stroke, that might be fifteen minutes too many, so it’s important that we can offer assistance quickly. It’s also of benefit that we can ease some of the workload for the EMTs, particularly in less serious cases, such as mild burns or falls, which we can take on ourselves.

You are currently in your fourth semester studying international business administration and will be graduating next year. Are you toying with the idea of going to medical school?

No, I’m pretty firm in my career goals, although I am entertaining the idea of maybe doing an EMT training program. But I can tell you that there is at least one WHU alumnus who, after completing his bachelor’s degree, went on to study medicine. His time working on our WHU First Responder team helped him realize that pursuing a career in medicine was the right step for him to take.

You have already organized the first blood drive of the year and have received your first emergency calls. What else is on the initiative’s agenda for 2025?

We’re organizing a further two blood drives. And, as is the case every year, we will be on the scene at several of WHU’s other events, including IdeaLab! and the WHU Campus for Finance. As of last year, we also offer our support every Monday evening to the Herzsportgruppe in Vallendar, which is an exercise group for people with known heart illnesses. But we are also available to help those nights should a call come in and we need to spring into action.