Mountain bike medics to beat traffic in emergencies

A new emergency mountain bike medical unit designed to bypass traffic congestion at major public events was unveiled today.

The innovative initiative was launched by St John’s Ambulance and will act as the first response to medical emergencies at concerts, festivals and other major outdoor activities.

Two bikes are already in service in Dublin at a cost of around 2000 euro each, and the Brigade intends to increase that to six by the end of the year.

It’s expected the unit will complement the Garda Mountain Bike Teams at special large-scale public gatherings.

“The St John’s Ambulance Brigade Mountain Bike Medical Support Service Unit will be a first line of defence should an emergency take place at any of the public events at which our staff are on duty,” St John’s Ambulance Brigade Superintendent Oliver Plunkett said.

“The objective of the team will be to reach the scene as quickly as possible, to tend to patients ahead of the arrival of core emergency support, to allay stress and fear and to instil confidence amongst bystanders.

“The first few minutes of an emergency are vital and the objective of emergency services is to reach the scene as quickly as possible.

“Time spent negotiating traffic-clogged roads is valuable time lost and this time could easily be the difference between a life being saved or a life being lost,” he said.

The unit was developed by Supt. Plunkett, a keen cyclist, and is modelled on the success of a similar unit which the St John’s Ambulance Brigade of London have been operating for a number of years.

Each bikes costs €2,000 and the equipment it carries, which includes first-aid supplies, a heart monitor and defibrillator, is valued at €4,000.

Riders are provided with a radio link to a Brigade ambulance.

The Unit had its successful first outing at this year’s St. Patrick’s Day Festival.

Its members will be on mountain bike duty at a host of major public events this summer including the Rod Stewart, George Michael and Justin Timberlake concerts at the RDS, The Police concert at Lansdowne Road, the Rolling Stones concert at Slane Castle, the Dublin Horse Show at the RDS in August and the Dublin City Marathon this October.

The voluntary members who joined the unit undertook an intensive training programme to complement their skills in first-aid, covering the Rules of the Road, safety and support and the skills of evasive action while cycling.

“The members of the new mountain bike medical support team have an obvious advantage over ambulances when it comes to negotiating busy roads, streets which may be closed to traffic during public events or in finding their way through thousands of spectators,” Supt Plunkett said.

“This ease of access could not be any more important than in the case of an emergency where a victim stops breathing.

“The first four minutes in those circumstances are vital and the value of having someone present who is fully trained in first-aid, emergency and medical support speaks for itself,” he said.