Medical emergencies can happen anytime and anywhere, which is why being able to get fast and efficient care to the patient is key.
A pilot program, which was launched by Simcoe County Paramedic Services this spring, puts paramedics on e-bikes at community events and in Barrie’s downtown.
It is aimed at ensuring that’s the case, explained Kimberly Johnstone, acting commander of logistics and community programs and portfolio lead for all special events with the service.
“As paramedics, we want to be able to provide the best care we can to all of the members of our community at these events,” she said. “What we find at a lot of these events is (there are) road closures and some difficulty with access and egress, so having some paramedics on bikes being able to get to these patients — and having an ambulance close by for transport — is just providing better care to our community members.”
The program was launched about three months ago with plans to do a trial run until spring 2025, Johnstone said.
The intention is to collect data from the events to ensure the paramedic service is bringing efficient care to all of the patients while on the bikes. It also makes paramedics more visible in the community.
They are also looking to get support from county council to expand the team in the future, said Johnstone.
“Our hope is we can provide the data needed and we will be able to go to council next spring and ask for an extension of the program," she added.
When the events team was created approximately three years ago, Johnstone says staff saw the need for adding some extra training for paramedics to make events more successful.
“The bike team kind of grew out of that,” she said. “For certain events, you’re not always going to be able to get trucks in and out and get to those patients as effectively, so the bike team just makes sense for us to get to our patients as quickly as possible and be able to provide care in minutes.”
The events team consists of approximately 50 paramedics who undergo extra training to prepare them to work events, Johnstone said. Out of those, 15 were selected to be on the bike team and were required to complete online road and bike safety courses, as well as approximately four to six hours of on-bike training.
The bikes are “pedal-assist,” she said, which means they don’t have to pedal all the time.
Paramedics carry a smaller version of all the same equipment that is stowed in an ambulance, Johnstone noted.
“They have a (defibrillator) on the bike, they have some oxygen on the bike and they have medications and trauma gear on the bike to respond to any call that could come in," she said.
When the bike team is deployed, Johnstone says the goal is to have two members on the bikes and either a third or fourth member go with them who can be interchangeable on the bike.
“Two would go out on the bike and two would stay with the vehicle … so that within about 10 minutes we can get the patient to (the) ambulance or the ambulance to the patient … and get them transported as effectively and efficiently as possible," she added.
The feedback from participating paramedics, and the patients they’ve treated, has been “extremely positive,” Johnstone said.
“All of our paramedics are excited to be able to be on the bikes and they’re excited to be at these events," she said. "They like being out and engaging with our community members, being able to have conversations and being able to bring any type of care that is needed … whether it be critical care or just generally answering questions.”
Community members also appreciate that paramedics are more visible and approachable," Johnstone said.
“They’re able to talk to our paramedics and ask questions. They can ask us about our equipment (and) about what’s going on. We have actually had some requests to have the bike medics come (back) to the event next year," she said.
To date, they have been on hand at the Alliston Potato Festival, the Bradford Carrot Festival, the All Your Friends Festival at Burl’s Creek in Oro-Medonte, and the Cookstown Classic Car Show.
They are currently working on getting the team out to various fall festivals, too.
The bike team has also been deployed to downtown Barrie, where they work in co-ordination with city police.
“I think it’s a unique opportunity for our paramedics to expand their scope of practice and to be able to be out more and be more visible in the community," Johnstone said. "We had more than the 15 (members) apply for the bike team. We had a very positive uptake.
"Our staff were very engaged in being a part of growing this bike team, because they all want it to be successful and they know how important it is to the success of us doing calls within our community,” she added.
