The Los Angeles Fire Department has added an electric motorcycle fleet to its arsenal for rescue and wildfire response, to assist crews in accessing rugged, hard-to-reach mountainous terrain.
Google and YouTube donated 30 electric motorcycles to the Los Angeles and Arcadia fire departments, “To really help them do the work that is so needed,” Adam Stewart, Google VP Sales, Executive Co-Lead of LA Offices, said at a Tuesday news conference.
Riders with LAFD demonstrated how the bikes maneuver through rubble, dirt, and rocky terrain ahead of the news conference.
LAFD’s Electric Motorcycle Response Program.
CBS LA
Using the bikes, crews will be able to evaluate risks to critical infrastructure, identify hazardous conditions, and locate, treat, and coordinate medical transport for those who may be injured or stranded.
“When access is limited, timing is critical,” LAFD Chief Jamie Moore said, referring to rough terrain or traffic congestion. “In our line of work, time is not just important, it’s everything.”
He explained that bike teams will consist of two riders, delivering full basic support capabilities.
LAFD’s Electric Motorcycle Response Program.
CBS LA
“These aren’t patrol bikes, they are mobile medical units assigned to our disaster response section and fully integrated into our dispatch and command system,” Moore said.
The motorcycles will also enhance EMS search capacity and provide real-time situational reporting to incident command. For example, after earthquakes, the motorcycle teams can navigate damaged areas and coordinate technical rescue operations in confined environments.
“We’re preparing for the future, and it’s innovative ideas like this that are going to get us there and help us be prepared to provide the service that the people of Los Angeles deserve,” Moore said.
