L.A. Fire Dept. Adopts Electric Motorcycles

[John Bennett]

Good article, blatantly plagiarized from ADVRider.

https://www.advrider.com/la-to-fight-fire-with-fire-motorcycles

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LA To Fight Fire With Fire … Motorcycles

The Los Angeles Fire Department is moving to use electric motorcycles for specific tasks.

As per LAFD:

Today, your LAFD introduced the new Electric Motorcycle Response Program, which will place trained EMTs and paramedics at a patient’s side faster than traditional ground units.

These fully-equipped medical response bikes can navigate traffic, crowds, and hard-to-reach areas, delivering critical care and real-time intelligence when seconds matter.

From large-scale events like marathons and parades, to emergencies in gridlocked traffic, off-road terrain, or disaster zones where access is limited, we’re enhancing how we reach those in need.

Thirty E-Ride Pro electric bikes were donated to LAFD by Google.

An old idea:

According to Wikipedia, the idea goes back about 100 years, with Russia and Germany using motorcycles to transport firefighters even before World War II.

A fire motorcycle from Japan.

Today, they’re used by departments all around the world (Brazil, China, Denmark, Greece, and many other countries—including, of course, Japan).

Some actually do carry basic firefighting equipment, but usually, they are intended to carry personnel through tough terrain to manage other non-fire emergencies, just like in LA.

 

[h2000fb]

It will not help them during riots. There are no "cattle guards" on the front of the bikes to divide the crowd so they cannot plow through the crowd to access the injured. If they do get through, the rioters will just ride off on them I think. Hopefully they will put some panniers on them that do not stick out. The Japanese looks like they thought it out.

I do think they need to use some sort of "electronic" or digital key so "good" people will not steal them when the paramedics are working.

 

[TNC]

Sounds like a good idea on the surface, but how good will the training be to ride them? Hope they have a lot of personnel already knowledgeable to operate them. Motorcycle cops usually have a lot training and even prior motorcycle experience to run bikes, and even they have some decently high numbers of accidents. It's a tough environment in city traffic. You gotta be good...and even then...