The Rescue Squad's Bicycle Emergency Response Team Rides into Spring  

Click below to read about the BERT Team in the news

At B-CC Rescue Squad, First Aid Arrives on Two and Four Wheels, The Gazette, 3/26/2003.

Donation to Rescue Squad Helps Mobility, The Gazette, 1/25/2006

(Clicking on the links above will open a new window in your browser and take you to a third-party site.)

The Bethesda-Chevy Chase Rescue  Squad’s Bicycle Emergency Response Team (BERT) continues a tradition of innovation that has been the hallmark of the Rescue Squad for over 67 years.

History

In 1995, with Pope John Paul II scheduled to visit the United States, the city of Baltimore put out a notice to fire departments throughout the area, asking for assistance. Some volunteer members of the Bethesda-Chevy Chase Rescue Squad who happened to be avid cyclists thought that providing Emergency Medical Services (EMS) on bicycles would be an effective way of treating illnesses or injuries at the crowds, which were expected to reach nearly a million people.

Although Baltimore canceled its call for help, the idea for the Rescue Squad’s BERT team was born. The team’s first event was the American Heart Walk in May 1995. With a small budget, team members purchased bags for their own bikes that could hold EMS equipment. Later in the year, the team became one of the first to provide EMS at the annual Marine Corps Marathon in Washington, D.C. BERT continues to participate in this event, in addition to about 18 others each year.

Services

BERT provides emergency medical services at special events throughout the year. At events like the Marine Corps Marathon, the Taste of Bethesda, and the Joint Services Open House at Andrews Air Force Base, large crowds make it difficult for ambulances and other vehicles to respond quickly. On their bicycles, members of BERT can gain access to sick and injured spectators or event participants several minutes before an ambulance arrives and provide immediate first aid and medical care. Every member of BERT is a professionally trained Emergency Medical Technician (EMT), and each team of two riders is equipped with an automated external defibrillator (AED) and other supplies necessary to treat patients experiencing a variety of ailments or injuries.

The 20 Paramedics and EMTs who staff

BERT also train to safely and effectively operate bicycles and perform basic bicycle maintenance. Many members of the team are certified as EMS cyclists by the International Police Mountain Bike Association (IPMBA), which has been at the forefront of public safety bicycle teams for more than a decade. Training includes learning how to ride in crowds, jump curbs, avoid obstacles, and make sudden turns and stops. During their training, BERT members focus on the types of medical emergencies to expect at the events they cover and how to safely treat them.

Contact

To find out more information or to inquire if BERT can provide EMS at your event, contact the team at bert.scheduling@bccrs.org.  BERT is staffed by volunteers who are professionally trained and certified as either Paramedics or Emergency Medical Technicians.

All Rescue Squad services are provided

free of charge. The Rescue Squad and its dedicated BERT Team do not receive regular appropriated funds from any government. As a philanthropically operated and community supported organization, we rely on donations and occasional grants to pay for lifesaving medical and rescue technology that benefits you, your family, and your neighbors.

Images (from top):

BERT Team members at a recent Joint Services Open House at Andrews Air Force Base.

BERT Team members responding to an emergency at last year's Cherry Blossom Race.

BERT Team member displaying equipment during last year's Cherry Blossom Festival.

BERT Team members negotiating obstacle course during International Police Mountain Bike Association training (2 photos)

BERT Team members at last year's

Cherry Blossom Festival.