15 replies to this topic

[Killicksparker]

Paramedics joined the thousands of cyclists on the streets of Cambridge yesterday as they launched their emergency response unit in the city.



The Cycle Response Unit (CRU) was launched outside King's College by the High Sheriff of Cambridgeshire, Richard Barnwell. It will give medical staff the pedal power they need to reach emergencies in a matter of minutes. The service will be operational from October 17. The bright yellow and green, fully kitted-out, two wheeled ambulance will be based in the heart of Cambridge dealing with all the same emergencies as regular ambulances, but able to get to the patients much faster. It will also free up regular ambulances to attend more serious incidents where casualties need to be taken to hospital.

Darren Rutterford, the CRU director for the East of England Ambulance Service, said: "We offer an average response time of two minutes, so being based in the centre with a high influx of incidents this will be a valuable service. "We will be dispatched by ambulance control as an initial resource and we will be backed up by an ambulance. "If the paramedic on the bike can deal with this, it will save the ambulance from coming out and being stood down. We are standing down around 50 per cent of ambulances, so to be able to free them up for more serious incidents will be beneficial for the service."

Three paramedics have undertaken an intensive advanced emergency cycling course, showing them how to handle the bikes, which weigh 45kg. They are Specialized and Cube mountain bikes with panniers on each side, fitted with oxygen, a defibrillator and various other devices carried in conventional emergency vehicles.

They even have blue flashing lights and a siren.

Mr Rutterford added: "I was really impressed with Cambridge when I visited for the launch as it lends itself to cycling very well. It has a very good cycle network."

http://www.cambridge...it-07102011.htm

"They even have blue flashing lights and a siren" - They will be the only Cambridge cyclists to have lights on their bikes then

Edited by Killicksparker, 09 October 2011 - 10:44 PM.

[DanielS]

St John Ambulance cycle response bikes are fitted with blues and twos as standard.

[policey_man]

Does the cycling response unit - even if it is for the whole service - require their own Director? Probably earning about £100k too I reckon...

[SM17HY]

Does the cycling response unit - even if it is for the whole service - require their own Director? Probably earning about £100k too I reckon...

Of course...

[AnthonyB]

St John Ambulance cycle response bikes are fitted with blues and twos as standard.

I think the OP's joke went right over your head......

[Nim]

"They even have blue flashing lights and a siren" - They will be the only Cambridge cyclists to have lights on their bikes then

Agreed. And the only ones to have helmets too...

[Killicksparker]

I think the OP's joke went right over your head......

Sigh - That often happens

[Merlin820]

Whilst policing Luton Carnival I think I came across a paramedic walt on a bike. It dawned on me he might have been as he'd asked me where a certain street was as he'd had a call to attend someone collapsed, then proceeded to chat to the crowd lining the procession route without an ounce of urgency. He had hi-vis gear on, two green saddle bags and absolutely nothing to indicate he was actually a paramedic.

I assume St John's bike paramedics have something somewhere that says this?

[AnthonyB]

St John units operating official Cycle response units will have standardised equipment panniers that have the organisations logo as well as clearly marked Hi Viz



Private services do however operate cycles at events and they could well have been from one of those - SJA don't cover everything these days, especially in some parts of the country.


Or it could indeed by a 'Para-Walt' but with eBay they should be emblazoned with millions of dubious role badges!

Edited by AnthonyB, 09 November 2011 - 06:40 PM.

[Merlin820]

SJA were on duty that day as they came with an ambulance to pick up a girl who had fainted. As for the bike and the guy with it, he didn't look anything like your picture. It was just odd that he had asked directions to a road, saying he had been called to someone collapsed and then proceeded to stop and chat to the crowd, he was still there doing it when we moved on.

[Myky]

Whilst policing Luton Carnival I think I came across a paramedic walt on a bike. It dawned on me he might have been as he'd asked me where a certain street was as he'd had a call to attend someone collapsed, then proceeded to chat to the crowd lining the procession route without an ounce of urgency. He had hi-vis gear on, two green saddle bags and absolutely nothing to indicate he was actually a paramedic.

I assume St John's bike paramedics have something somewhere that says this?

Can i just point out that whilst the most common term is Paramedic (which is legally protected) cycle response isn't limited to paramedics (legally) I am a cycle responder for an independent ambulance company (Which is what St John Ambulance is) and my bike saddle bags all say Medical Responder on them as to have anything saying paramedic would be illegal for me to have. On the back of my cycle vest I have Ambulance.

I would agree that his behaviour does seem bizarre (saying he had a call to a collapse then chatting to people) but unless he claimed he was a paramedic or had something that made it appear that he was then there are no offences (that I can think of).

and seeing as there is no uniformity requirements then equipment standards will differ depending on company choices and budgets. proper medical cycle responder panniers can set a company back £800 so some companies will just use green saddle bags to cut costs.

i would say good walt hunting senses though as most people would just dismiss it.

oh and not every event is covered by st john... they are just the most well known one. (which is annoying as every time someone needs us they call us St John, so now we all have our company name splattered all over our uniforms so people don't get confused)

Edit : just saw your responses... (damn me taking ages to reply) maybe you found a walt with a way in to festivals... nobody ever questions my uniform when i go to the front gate of a event. just say.... "ambulance" and they wave you in. or its entirely possible that the event was being covered by more than one company although i can't see St John sharing much!

Edited by myky, 09 November 2011 - 07:59 PM.

[Merlin820]

Can i just point out that whilst the most common term is Paramedic (which is legally protected) cycle response isn't limited to paramedics (legally) I am a cycle responder for an independent ambulance company (Which is what St John Ambulance is) and my bike saddle bags all say Medical Responder on them as to have anything saying paramedic would be illegal for me to have. On the back of my cycle vest I have Ambulance.

I would agree that his behaviour does seem bizarre (saying he had a call to a collapse then chatting to people) but unless he claimed he was a paramedic or had something that made it appear that he was then there are no offences (that I can think of).

and seeing as there is no uniformity requirements then equipment standards will differ depending on company choices and budgets. proper medical cycle responder panniers can set a company back £800 so some companies will just use green saddle bags to cut costs.

i would say good walt hunting senses though as most people would just dismiss it.

oh and not every event is covered by st john... they are just the most well known one. (which is annoying as every time someone needs us they call us St John, so now we all have our company name splattered all over our uniforms so people don't get confused)

I wasn't searching for offences, I just saw the post earlier which prompted me to remember this guy.

The ambulance that turned up for the girl who had fainted definitely said St John's Ambulance on it.

[mwe99]

They're alright in city centres, but when I use to work in Manchester. They bought more RRV (Ambulance Cars) and they can hit response times better.. so now only use the bikes on major city centre events cos they don't financially pull their weight in the long run ... its all about response times no matter what anyone says.

Get to a cardiac arrest in 7 mins and don't get them back = tick box for response times
Get to a cardiac arrest in 8 minutes 1 seconds and get them back = untick box

But hopefully that'll change when they fully roll out the clinical care outcomes soon which is based on response times and treatment

Edited by mwe99, 16 November 2011 - 12:35 PM.

[Medic2]

They're alright in city centres, but when I use to work in Manchester. They bought more RRV (Ambulance Cars) and they can hit response times better.. so now only use the bikes on major city centre events cos they don't financially pull their weight in the long run ... its all about response times no matter what anyone says.

Get to a cardiac arrest in 7 mins and don't get them back = tick box for response times
Get to a cardiac arrest in 8 minutes 1 seconds and get them back = untick box

But hopefully that'll change when they fully roll out the clinical care outcomes soon which is based on response times and treatment

Most Cycle responders work a 4 mile area around the city and they should get there in 4 minutes going flat out and maybe 3 if your down hill with your legs working the hardest!
But if you think the bikes are light think again! they weight a fare bit.
And with the responce times it is just getting there, for a cat A call it is 8 minutes to arrive and press on scene.

[Davies2201]

I think they are a great resourse at events and inner cities. Though I am happy sat in the car

[TA23]

They're alright in city centres, but when I use to work in Manchester. They bought more RRV (Ambulance Cars) and they can hit response times better.. so now only use the bikes on major city centre events cos they don't financially pull their weight in the long run ... its all about response times no matter what anyone says.

Get to a cardiac arrest in 7 mins and don't get them back = tick box for response times
Get to a cardiac arrest in 8 minutes 1 seconds and get them back = untick box

But hopefully that'll change when they fully roll out the clinical care outcomes soon which is based on response times and treatment

The NWAS CRU in Manchester still runs daily with an all-paramedic team (no Technicians). They have an average response time of 3 mins in the city centre so if there's a bike available, it'll usually be sent instead of an RRV so the RRV can be saved for a longer journey. But the bikes certainly don't only work big events.

Plus, financially, they're brilliant. They're cheap to buy, cheap to maintain and cheap to staff (seeing as they're always single crewed, like cars). Bear in mind that the cheapest ambulances NWAS purchase are £70,000. The most expensive are over £130,000!