Fire Department Looking To Add Bike Medics

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — The city of Sacramento is looking to add a small fleet of bicycle medics to their toolbox.

"They found it to be a great little tool to quickly maneuver around downtown as opposed to a large vehicle when your trying to navigate large crowds," said Captain Keith Wade, Sacramento Fire Dept.

Trucks and engines are not always the best tool for the job, especially in large crowds.

"You would have bike medics to be able to quickly respond, to weave their way through crowds of people to gain access to provide care," said Wade.

The idea is to do what cities like Los Angeles have been doing for years, using first responders on bikes to quickly get to patients in need.

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While LA uses bike medics at the airport, as well as large events, in Sacramento they'd be used primarily at big events, such as the California International Marathon.

Rather than sending big trucks to respond, a small group of bike medics would be deployed, likely arriving much faster.

"It's so important to get care quickly to a person that's experiencing some sort of medical emergency, seconds, minutes, they all count," said Wade.

This is not a done deal. It's simply a proposal in the upcoming fire department budget.

A fire department spokesman says they only need about $20,000 in the first year to get this started. If approved, the program could be up and running in months.