In August 2006, St John Ambulance (SJA) in Warwickshire started to raise money to purchase Smith + Wesson bikes and all the medical kit as a means of responding to emergencies by their Warwickshire Cycle Response Unit. The bikes were delivered in July this year. Each bike carries first aid kit, oxygen, suction and an Automated External Defibrillator (AED). It has been known for one bike to carry entonox, an analgesic often called gas and air, rather than oxygen at sports events.
Eddie Stephenson, Unit Co-ordinator for Warwickshire Cycle Unit, has been speaking to the Emergency Management Portal.
"Normally we operate as a pair", he said. "We tried using our own bikes, but it didn't look good, different types of bike with various colours; we could only carry first aid kit around our waist, no AED, suction or oxygen."
It has been known for the unit to reach a casualty before a county ambulance. Earlier this year they attended a Marathon, two vehicles, a doctor and an ambulance, were sent to an unconscious patient. He couldn't be found, the cycle unit turned up and located the casualty, who couldn't be seen from the road. He was placed on oxygen after which the unit called for transport.
The cycle can also be set up as a first aid post; it doesn't have to be a mobile unit.
Mr Stephenson told us: "At the moment Warwickshire have 3 bikes, but we intend to make it 4 within 18 months."
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