After a successful test run, Miami-Dade Fire Rescue is broadening its use of motorcycles in daily rescue calls — the first program of its kind in the United
By Breanne Gilpatrick
The Miami Herald (Florida)
Copyright 2006 The Miami Herald
Facing the worst traffic congestion in the nation, Miami-Dade Fire Rescue needed a way to get to emergency victims faster.
Then, on a trip to Europe, Capt. Roman Bas saw the success of London’s motorcycle medic team. With the help of Miami-Dade County Commissioner Rebeca Sosa, the department began experimenting in 2003 and then started a one-year pilot study in 2004.
The results were overwhelming. The pilot motorcycle team responded to about 1,300 calls that year and had an average response time of less than three minutes for life-threatening emergency calls. Larger vehicles have a response time of more than six minutes because of traffic congestion and their inability to roam individual neighborhoods between calls the way a motorcycle can, Bas said.
The decreased response time is critical for heart attack victims, Bas said. Every second matters when fire-rescue has between three and five minutes to administer CPR or use a defibrillator.
West Miami Commissioner Jesus Santana, who attended Friday’s unveiling with his father, ran into this problem when his mother passed away in November.
“The engine was on a call and caught in traffic, and this would have made a difference,” he said.
Departments from other cities, including New York and San Francisco have called to ask about the program.
“Traffic in our community has grown to proportions we never expected them to grow to,” County Fire Chief Herminio Lorenzo said Friday. “Every street, every roadway is being reconstructed and refurbished. . . . The Motorcycle Emergency Response Team was the answer.”
After training additional “motormedics” and replacing the donated BMW bikes used in the pilot study with brand new, white Harley-Davidson Road Kings, the department hopes to begin using its permanent team Oct. 1.
The permanent program consists of 35 certified motormedics compared with the eight used in the pilot study. Each motorcycle is equipped with a defibrillator, oxygen cylinder, bandages and medical assessment equipment. Riders will have better safety equipment than in the pilot study, such as inflatable vests that act like air bags in a crash.
In addition to saving lives, motorcycles save fuel and spare larger emergency vehicles for more serious calls.
“It’s a win-win situation for everyone,” Commissioner Sosa said after the ceremony. “They can get to the scene faster than ever. They can do an evaluation. And they can save money and travel for the larger vehicles.”