Florida Paramedics Rush to Emergencies on Bicycles

Some paramedics in South Florida say it’s faster to ride a bicycle than drive an ambulance in some emergencies.

Boca Raton Fire-Rescue recently started a bike paramedic team to deploy into crowds at downtown events and football games.

Dave Weyer is the firefighter and paramedic who custom-built six of the team’s bikes. He tells the Sun Sentinel that bicycles can get to some emergencies more easily, such as when someone faints at a downtown festival or in a crowded stadium.

Fort Lauderdale Fire-Rescue and Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue also have squads of paramedics on bicycles for large events. This year, 17 Boca Raton firefighter-paramedics were trained and certified for the bike team.

The medics carry 30 pounds of equipment — including defibrillators — on mountain bikes with Kevlar-lined tires.