Paramedic motorcycles hit the streets

AUSTIN (KXAN) - Paramedics with Austin-Travis County EMS have started testing out motorcycles on a daily basis to try to get to the scene of emergencies faster.

All the life-saving devices and medication they normally carry in an ambulance is packed into compact cases on the bike. The only thing missing is a stretcher.

"We have that ability to get on scene four to five minutes before ambulances do and can assess that patient," said motorcycle paramedic Juan Hinojosa. "And if that patient does not want to go to the hospital, then we can cancel that ambulance."

The motorcycles are also equipped with lights, sirens and GPS technology so they can find an address and dispatchers can see how close they are to a call.

Two years ago, the department got two bikes for special events like Austin City Limits, South by Southwest and the the Republic of Texas biker rally. The Austin Marathon and Greater Austin Crime Commission recently donated two more bikes to allow the department to double their fleet.

The Austin Police Department helped train nine paramedics on the new motorcycle team. Two are on-duty at a time. The pair starts their early morning shift along IH 35 ready to respond to accidents. After 9 a.m. they are available to respond to any call.

The motorcycle can jump curbs and go off-road which could come in handy if emergencies arise on the hike and bike trail and the greenbelt.