LAFD adds electric motorcycles for EMS, rescues in hard-to-reach areas

LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Fire Department has added a fleet of electric motorcycles to support EMS and rescue operations, aiming to help crews access rugged and hard-to-reach mountainous terrain more quickly.

Google and YouTube donated 30 electric motorcycles to the Los Angeles and Arcadia fire departments, with company executive Adam Stewart saying at a news conference on April 1 that the vehicles are to help firefighters carry out critical work more effectively, CBS Los Angeles reported.

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“When access is limited, timing is critical,” LAFD Chief Jamie Moore said, referring to rough terrain or traffic congestion. “In our line of work, time is not just important, it’s everything.”

On its YouTube video, the department said the Electric Motorcycle Response Program will allow EMTs and paramedics to identify hazardous conditions, and locate, treat and coordinate transport for people who are injured or stranded. The bikes can navigate traffic, crowds and hard-to-reach areas, allowing responders to deliver critical care and real-time intelligence when seconds matter.

Moore said the bikes are not patrol vehicles but mobile medical units assigned to the department’s disaster response section and fully integrated into its dispatch and command system.

Could electric motorcycles improve response times for your EMS system? Where would they be most useful (events, urban congestion, remote access), and what challenges would you expect?

EMS1 readers respond

“I can understand the concept of the program of allow EMTs and paramedics to identify hazardous conditions, and locate, and provide real-time intelligence to coordinate transport for people who are injured or stranded. As for allowing responders to deliver critical care when seconds matter is a question when you just send in a bike and rider with nothing but their hands. Will the BMX style bicycle be strong enough to outfit with any type of equipment or will the rider be able to carry a backpack with minimal basic supplies?”

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