On January 2025, 1, the Chiba City Fire Brigade launched a functional team of volunteer firefighters, mainly consisting of students from the Chiba University School of Medicine. The launch of a volunteer fire brigade team made up of medical students is rare across the country, and it is expected that they will play an active role in providing medical support during large-scale disasters such as an earthquake directly beneath the capital.
According to Chiba University, the team name is "Chiba City Fire Brigade CUMST," an acronym of Chiba University Medical Support Team. In order to secure fire brigade members and improve the region's disaster prevention capabilities, a functional team of members was established, mainly consisting of young medical students from Chiba University's School of Medicine, based on a comprehensive partnership agreement between Chiba City and Chiba University. Led by Professor Jun Onodera of the Chiba University Institute of Disaster Treatment Science, the team includes 1 medical students from the first to fifth years of the Chiba University School of Medicine. For the time being, the team will participate in training in cooperation with the Chiba City Fire Department.
The team will be deployed to large-scale disasters, and will be tasked with conveying medical terminology to doctors and nurses at the scene of the disaster, as well as helping prioritize the treatment of injured people. As they have not yet obtained their medical license, they will not be performing medical procedures, but they will also cooperate in supporting health management if life in evacuation shelters continues for a long time.
The members of Kamst are part of the Chiba University School of Medicine emergency club C-TAT, which has been working to improve survival rates and has won second place overall in the national competition. Chiba City Mayor Shunichi Kamiya and Chiba City Fire Brigade Chief Kaoru Sato also attended the launch ceremony.