EMTs on motorcycles

LINGLE – Residents in the Lingle area will soon hear the sound of a single-cylinder motorcycle engine approaching emergency scenes and medical calls in the Lingle area. The Lingle Volunteer Fire Department (LVFD) recently signed an agreement to become a member of the Royal Enfield EMT1 Program. As part of the program, LVFD will send usage information to Royal Enfield in return for the donation of two motorcycles to the department.

The department will receive two donated Royal Enfield Scram 411 motorcycles, a symbol of LVFD’s commitment to faster responses to medical calls. These motorcycles will not only raise awareness of motorcycle use in emergency medical response but also provide quicker aid to patients in need, potentially saving more lives. The potential to save lives with quicker assistance is a crucial aspect of this initiative.

“Royal Enfield is committed to creating more opportunities for emergency responders to deploy quickly and capably so more lives can be saved,” Royal Enfield’s website reads. “Motorcycle use in both fire and EMS is fairly common outside of the United States, where EMS agencies deploy motorcycles to reach patients that traditional ambulances are unable to reach as effectively. The EMT1 program allows Emergency Medical Response Services the option to equip the motorcycles with all the tools necessary to deliver quicker emergency response times and medical attention to those in need.”

The first noted use of these motorcycles was in Sturgis, South Dakota, with the Sturgis Buffalo Chip, a campground, bar and grill that hosts and entertains motorcyclists during the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in August of each year.

“The first Royal Enfield EMT1 motorcycles were built and outfitted by the Buffalo Chip team to provide faster response times to those in medical distress, particularly around the 600-acre campground where passage is neither smooth nor straight, for the iconic motorcycle rally,” royalenfieldna.com’s article reads.

Firefighter/EMT Logan Dailey is thrilled to be working with Ronald “Ron” Luttrell and the rest of the crew at Royal Enfield North America.

“I reached out to Ron about the program, and before I knew it, Ron said that motorcycles would soon be dispatched to Nick Dodgson’s Cheyenne Motorsports dealership,” Dailey said. “We are thrilled to be working with Ron and Royal Enfield to bring awareness to the use of these machines. They are extremely capable motorcycles that will provide us with the means to get to people in need of medical care more quickly, especially in some of the forested terrain around the river and off the beaten path.”

Dailey said the department would likely face some challenges when using these motorcycles, such as weather and the inability to carry a patient on a bike. Still, he is excited to measure their potential.

“Though we look forward to using these motorcycles, we understand there will be some complications with weather and getting patients out of difficult-to-reach places,” Dailey said. “We also understand we will not use the bikes when the roads are slick, ice-packed, or otherwise. Though there will be some complications, we are excited to learn the capability of this new asset. Safety is our number one priority, and we will not settle for being unsafe.”

Dailey asked motorists to watch out for motorcycles on the roadways, as other motorists may collide with them while sharing the road.

“It is all too common to see bikers getting hit, especially at stop lights and intersections, simply because people do not look for motorcycles. Rather, they are looking for other cars and can look right through a motorcycle,” Dailey said. “Watching for pedestrians, bicyclists and motorcyclists is crucial when braking at an intersection or leaving from an intersection. Taking an extra moment to look around before approaching or leaving an intersection is a great way to prevent colliding with a pedestrian, bicyclist or motorcyclist.”

Dailey does not know the exact date as to when the motorcycles will be arriving. Still, Dailey said he will be posting more information about the program on the department’s Facebook page, facebook.com/LingleFire, and the Town of Lingle’s website, townoflingle.com.

“We owe a huge debt of gratitude to Ron and the team at Royal Enfield North America for setting us up and donating these bikes to our department,” Dailey said. “None of this would be possible without them and the Royal Enfield EMT1 Program.”