• 12th Feb 2025

Enhancing emergency response: Ambulance Victoria’s Motorcycle Response Unit

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When every second is critical in a medical emergency, Ambulance Victoria’s Motorcycle Response Unit provides a highly agile and effective solution for rapid intervention.

Our Motorcycle Response paramedics are uniquely positioned to navigate congested urban environments, events and festivals, and access locations that traditional road ambulances cannot, reducing response times and improving patient outcomes.

Specialist Resources Manager Joshua Tait highlighted the operational advantages of the unit: “Motorcycle Response paramedics have the ability to bypass traffic congestion and access areas that are otherwise restricted to vehicles, such as bike paths, footbridges, and pedestrian zones. This enables them to provide timely, life-saving interventions where they are needed most.”

The fleet comprises BMW F900GS motorcycles, purpose-built for emergency response operations. These vehicles are equipped with emergency beacons, sirens, integrated two-way radio communication, and panniers designed to carry essential medical equipment.

“The motorcycles are stocked with a modified suite of clinical equipment, comparable to that found on a road ambulance. This includes an automated external defibrillator (AED), essential medications, airway management tools, and trauma response supplies.”

Operationally, Motorcycle Response paramedics are dispatched concurrently with a road ambulance. In cases where further transport is unnecessary, they can stand down the responding ambulance, optimising resource utilisation across the network.

“By arriving on scene first, we can assess the patient and determine whether additional paramedic support is required. If the patient does not require transport, we can release the road ambulance to attend higher-acuity cases, ensuring a more efficient allocation of resources.”

For Motorcycle Response paramedic Geoff Briggs, being part of this specialised unit has been both a professional and personal privilege.

“It’s an incredible experience to integrate my passion for motorcycle riding with frontline emergency care. When I joined Ambulance Victoria 21 years ago, I never imagined we would have a dedicated motorcycle paramedic unit,” he said.

Ambulance Victoria first trialled the use of motorcycles in 2011, with full-scale implementation occurring in 2015. Since then, the Motorcycle Response Unit has played a crucial role in providing medical coverage at major public events, including New Year’s Eve celebrations, sporting fixtures, and large-scale charity events.

Each year, the unit responds to more than 3,000 emergency cases, delivering critical care where and when it is most needed. As demand for agile and efficient emergency medical response continues to grow, the Motorcycle Response Unit remains an integral component of our pre-hospital care strategy, ensuring that we maintain the highest standards of patient care in dynamic and challenging environments.

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