City of Manassas, VA . . . The City of Manassas Fire and Rescue Department is training five technicians to become members of the EMS Bike Team. This is a 40-hour course on safe bicycle operations and biking skills during high and low speed maneuvers and navigating challenging courses.
“Having an EMS Bike Team is a great asset to the City of Manassas,” said City Manager John Budesky. “With all of the parades and events that happen in the City, these medics can get through a crowd and to an injured person much more easily.”
The City currently has six qualified bike medics, two of which are certified bike instructors. These highly trained medics can navigate through crowds and use small spaces, such as alleys and paths, to reach patients who may have to wait precious minutes for a more cumbersome ambulance to arrive.
“With serious medical conditions, time is of the essence,” said Fire and Rescue Chief Brett Bowman. “The time saved by bike navigation through the crowded events and festivals within the City can literally mean the difference between life and death.”
Bike medics in the City of Manassas carry a full line of medical equipment, including a full line of basic life support equipment, an automatic external defibrillator (AED) and Oxygen.
