Poudre Valley Hospital in Fort Collins, Colo., has outfitted 14 of its 18 ambulances with front-mounted bike racks. This is an ingenious and conscientious innovation for an increasingly bike-friendly society.
According to a report in the Coloradoan, each day in Fort Collins two to four bike-crash victims (and their bicycles) are transported by the ambulances.
“People [involved in a bike accident] don’t want to leave their bikes at the scene,” said Steve Main of Colorado Health hospitals. “Once a patient is stabilized and ready for transport, it takes only a second to attach the bike to the ambulance.”
Before the racks, paramedics carried bike locks to secure an injured rider’s rig, then they left it on site and drove away. Now, the EMTs take the bike along, which Main noted helps the injured person “gain a peace of mind.”
The Poudre Valley Hospital racks were custom-built by an emergency worker who is a former Marine Corps diesel mechanic. Because of this they can’t simply be slapped onto another town’s fleet, but we hope the Colorado initiative sparks conversation in bike-friendly towns around the U.S.
