SALT LAKE CITY – In collaboration with Salt Lake City International Airport, the Salt Lake City Fire Department has developed a new emergency response team.
The airport now has a two-person e-bike team that responds to medical calls in the terminal six days a week.
“They had all their basic life support equipment,” said Capt. Shaun Mumedy, public information officer for the department. “They have some advanced equipment with their AEDs, they have all the standard equipment that we use for trauma care.”
The e-bike team is planning to help a bigger crowd
He said the new mobile response team was created to better accommodate larger crowds passing through the airport and the growing state. It was modeled after the department’s mobile response times located in certain neighborhoods of the city.
“We just felt like with the size and scope of this expansion, there was more we could do as a fire department,” Mumedy said.
The team is dedicated to responding to medical calls such as allergic reactions, falls, episodes of fainting, respiratory distress or anxiety problems. If an individual needs a stretcher, a golf cart already located at the airport will accompany the firefighters to the call.
In collaboration with Salt Lake City International Airport, the Salt Lake City Fire Department has developed a new emergency response team. The airport now has a two-person e-bike team that responds to medical calls in the terminal six days a week. (Shelby Lofton, KSL TV)
“When they get there, if they encounter a higher level of care, then we still have fire stations 11 and 12 that can help with that,” Mumedy said.
Fire Station 12 is located across the asphalt from the airport building. Before the introduction of the bicycle team, firefighters had to pack a fire truck and drive through crowded runways full of airplanes by taxi, after reaching the person in need on foot.
Mumedy said the bike team will be able to respond to calls faster and be more efficient overall.
“Ideally, this will relieve about 80 percent of the call volume from the fire engine,” he said.
Catch the attention of travelers
Traveler Mary Rogers from Chico, California, said she wished her home airport had first responders on bicycles when her husband had an emergency.
“He fell and it was very bad,” he said. “It’s been really hard to get help, too.”
Mumedy said the department believes the team will speed up response times.
“We understand that there are some pretty big terminal corridors out there and if you have a medical emergency, we need to be able to get you the help you need in a timely manner,” he said.
Salt Lake City firefighters hope the bikes are here to stay.
“Hopefully, we can add a little more of these mobile response times across all terminals,” Mumedy said
They know the airport is already busy, and they said their teams are focused on providing help, without stopping traffic.
“We’re not going to zoom in here all crazy-eyed, realizing that people are in a hurry and they’re not necessarily going to look for us,” Mumedy said.
Keep away from sirens
They ask people to move to the right if they see lights or hear bicycle sirens.
Several travelers at the airport on Tuesday told KSL TV that they had never seen this strategy before.
“If they exist, they are not as visible as we want ours to be,” said Mumedy.
If you need help with an emergency or serious problem, you can stop these firefighters or call 911.
“They are easily identifiable in their red shirts and their electric bikes, with their lights and their little sirens, but they are also encouraged to interact with people,” Mumedy said.
