Firefighters on motorcycles: thinking outside the box

This image of a firefighter from 1917 suggests that while the application is new the concept has been around for awhile.

When you think of first responders on motorcycles, you almost always think of police officers. But firefighters? It goes against tradition. Yet this is just what is happening across the country in major metropolitan areas where fire departments are rethinking how they provide services.

While the motorcyles are equipped with fire extinguishers, the primary purpose of these teams of firefighters is rapid medical response and reconnaissance. Miami-Dade Fire Rescue was able to cut response time from seven minutes to as low as three. A Los Angeles Fire Department team reached the scene of a brush fire within three minutes, beating the helicopters, and mapped the boundaries of the fire for the command post.

The motorcycles are typically equipped with defibrillators, medical supplies, a small fire extinguisher and a GPS unit. Their chief advantage is their ability to circumvent the traffic congestion that slows a regular response. Maintenance and fuel costs are also considerable less than regular response vehicles.

Still, going against tradition is a hard sell in this time of tight budgets. Miami-Dade's program was a victim of budget cuts despite it's cost effectiveness. Other agencies are having a hard time getting programs initiated. Nevertheless, this is a great example of analyzing a need and coming up with a creative solution.