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The SAEMS bike unit was
established in 1996 as a means to gain access and provide prompt
medical care for densely occupied special events. Fiesta San
Antonio, NIOSA, the Carnival, the Battle of Flowers Parade, Fiesta
Flambeau Parade and the New Year's Celebration are just a few of the
events these teams are scheduled to respond to every year. Although
most of the original 24 members of the Bike Team have retired, the
team usually has between 24-30 members, 3 of which are female.
Those on the team have to be in excellent physical shape to meet
the demands of the job. The team rides Cannondale and Smith and
Wesson Public Safety bicycles they carry upwards of 45-60 pounds of
additional equipment. "The program since it's inception has been
extremely successful," says EMS Chief Mario Guerra.” At these
events, a bike team can arrive in 5 minutes to a call and provide
life saving care that could easily have take an ambulance 15 minutes
from the same starting point!
For fiesta 2005, SAEMS is deploying 4 teams of two Paramedics and 2
Paramedics assigned to the EMS Cart. "Our Bikes carry everything
that you would normally find on a regular full-sized EMS unit, but
in smaller quantities, with the exception of a stretcher and
backboards," says Ralph Sifuentes
Medic 39-B. "The equipment is
split up so that there isn't much redundancy. One medic's bags will
specialize in cardiac care while the other medic's bags will be more
geared to trauma. Each team also carries Laerdal Heartstart(tm)
1000's along with a full airway and oxygen therapy compliment."
The cart (vehicle number
8417)is staffed by 2 Paramedics and is well stocked and has the
ability to transport or transfer an immobilized patient on a
backboard in the event that a ambulance can't physically maneuver to
the patient's location. Special thanks to Chief Mario Guerra
and Paramedic Ralph Sifuentes Medic 39-B for input on this article
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