A cross between a school bus, an RV camper and a hospital bed complete with nurses and technicians — that’s about what it looks like inside the blood bus. Parked around campus several times a year, these vehicles from the Puget Sound Blood Center are part of a coordinated effort to supply blood to Western Washington. Known officially as mobile donation centers, the buses hold drives all over the Seattle area. To get an authentic perspective, I decided it would be best to roll up my sleeves and enter the bus as a new donor.

Entering the blood bus parked outside of Schmitz Hall, I waited my turn behind other donors. The arrangement of beds, cabinets and equipment gave it the appearance of a space station, where no corner or cabinet was unlabeled or underutilized. Within a few minutes, it was my turn.

First, I filled out a form for first-time donors, asking for basic identification to be entered into the computer system. I then answered a series of questions about my health and behavior. Next, it was into the screening room, where my blood pressure and temperature were taken. In addition, the technician checked if I had anemia, a deficiency of iron in the blood. Passing all of these checks, I was prepped for donation. For me, the process was relaxing and relatively painless — aside from the slight discomfort of the needle.

The volunteer on duty, a gregarious man named Allan Seidenverg, gave me pretzels and juice after I was bandaged and ready to go. Seidenverg graduated from the UW in 1972 and eagerly recalled his years as a student in liberal arts with an emphasis on psychology. I was joined in the refreshment corner by three other donors.

Jane Doggett, a library manager at the Applied Physics Lab, is a frequent donor.

“It’s an easy thing to do,” she said.

Megan Davis, who works at the Financial Aid Office, felt that, in addition to being easy and convenient, giving blood was the “right thing to do.”

Caitlin Hansan, a grad student studying English literature, had just donated blood for the first time.

“I had always meant to, and today I had the free time,” she said.

Caitlin described her first donation experience as “easy and painless.” Having Type O negative blood makes her blood especially valuable because it is universally accepted by all other blood types, making transfusions easier.

The Puget Sound Blood Center has a goal of maintaining at least a four-day supply of blood to the hospitals and clinics in Western Washington.

That is equal to 4,100 units (pints) of blood. To maintain that number, more than 1,000 people have to donate a pint (about 500 milliliters) of blood every day, and that blood goes to anyone who has been injured or is receiving treatment for trauma and burns, cancer, blood and immune diseases, surgery, heart disease, or organ or bone marrow transplant.

Blood contains a number of important components that help keep us alive, including red blood cells, white cells and platelets. Red blood cells carry oxygen throughout the body, white cells defend the body against infection and platelets form clots to control bleeding.

While all blood has these components, blood is categorized into eight main types: O positive, O negative, A positive, A negative, B positive, B negative, AB positive and AB negative. Blood types are inherited and represent certain characteristics of red blood cells. Donor blood and patient blood must match to prevent the possibility of rejection.

It takes — at most — an hour to go through screening, donate and take some time to refresh and enjoy the company of volunteers like Seidenverg. To donate, you must be 18 years old or older, weigh at least 110 pounds and be in good health. You can donate blood every 56 days. The UW had 111 drives last year with 4,914 donors. Almost 50 percent of those donors gave blood for the first time.

If you are interested in donating blood to help your community, look for the blood buses on campus. After your first donation, you will receive a card in the mail with your blood type and the next date you are eligible to donate. If you don’t think you can handle giving blood, consider volunteering at one of the drives.

“The time it takes to get the blood needed to a patient can literally make the difference between life and death,” said Michael Young, director of communications for the Puget Sound Blood Center.

Reach reporter Jason Gordon at features@dailyuw.com.