The Bicycle Response Unit is helping Ambulance Victoria cut through the crowds at Melbourne’s major sporting and cultural events.
The time it takes to get to patients is paramount to saving lives but responding ambulances through dense crowds can be a challenge.
The Bicycle Response Unit was established in the lead-up to the Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games to provide rapid casualty access in crowded areas.
Bicycle response paramedics took an average of just two minutes to reach emergencies at Flemington Racecourse when they first took to their bikes for the 2005 Spring Racing Carnival.
And when hundreds of thousands of Victorians packed Melbourne for the 2006 Commonwealth Games, bicycle response paramedics reached 90 per cent of cases within six minutes with an average response time of just 3.3 minutes.
The Bicycle Response Unit attends events such as New Year’s Eve celebrations, the Big Day Out and the Anzac Day parade.
Equipment carried is light, compact and functional and includes first aid gear, a ventilator and a small defibrillator the size of a CD case to restart the hearts of people in cardiac arrest.
Bicycle response paramedics wear highly visible vests that carry water, radio, gloves and other equipment and their bikes have flashing lights and sirens to warn people they are on their way to an emergency.
The Bicycle Response Unit is supported by a transport vehicle that can move bicycle response units and carry additional supplies and equipment.