A KFRS Fire Bike Team Initiative.
Presented by Firefighter Jim Sanderson &
Station Manager Lawrence Pater
What is Biker Down?
Prince Michael of Kent International Road Safety Award
2012
• Award winning course
designed specifically for
Motorcyclists,
• 3 hour duration
comprising 3 Modules.
• Delivered by Fire service
personnel & volunteers
Biker Down, A Different Approach
• Module 1
Safe Approach & Scene Management - 60mins
• Module 2
First Aid Input - 90 mins
• Module 3
The Science of Being Seen – 45 mins
Module 1 Scene Management
Duration: 60 minutes
Based on Fire-fighter training
& the
Dynamic Risk Assessment
• Priorities
• Personal Safety
• Identifying Hazards
• Risk Levels
How the above MUST
influence actions!
Module 1 Scene Management
Initial Actions
• Reaching the Casualty
• Identifying themselves
• Establishing Vocal contact
with casualty
• Assessing resources
available and resources
required
• Assigning tasks to on
lookers
• What to do & What NOT to
do.
Module 2 First Aid
Duration: 90 minutes
First Aid/ CPR/ Helmet Removal
Module 3 The Science of Being Seen
Duration: 45 minutes
Ineffective Conspicuity strategies
Module 3 The Science of Being Seen
Duration: 45 minutes
Motion Camouflage Ineffective Search
Strategies
Module 3 The Science of Being Seen
Looming
On Completion
Certificate of Attendance, First Aid Kit and Crash
Card (Aide Memoire), as well as the SECAMB
Green spot.
Evaluation
• Direct feedback from practical application.
• 11 known incidents where attendees have
stopped to assist, 2 where a helmet
removal was safely executed!
• Feedback questionnaires (will BD affect
their riding behaviour?) Invariably YES!
• Biker Down has Subliminal effect!
Networking
•
Facebook ‘Kent Fire Bike’ to keep in
touch touch and receive regular updates
on our new initiatives.
• We direct our attendees to KFRS Website
for further info on Community Safety
projects and Safety Advice.
The Recipients
• Attendees to date in Kent = 1700,
• Waiting list = 180 at any one time
• Many Clubs and Owners Groups regularly
send new members
• Interest from America, Canada, Australia,
Scotland.
• Both the AA and SERV (Blood Runners)
send their riders to attend.
Biker Down Goes National!
Biker Down Teams:
•Kent
•Oxfordshire
•Gloucestershire
•Bucks & Milton Keynes
•Hertfordshire
•South Wales
•Powys (Mid Wales)
•Sussex
•Bedfordshire
•South Yorkshire
•BD North East
•Northants
•West Midlands
•Guernsey
•London
Going National
• There is a National Biker Down Page on facebook at
Biker Down UK with 2075 followers which is used to
publicise the course and direct Bikers to their nearest BD
Team.
• Kent Fire and Rescue Fire Bike Team has also
developed a Biker Down - Start Up Pack, which it
shares with prospective interested parties.
Open Invitation
• Invitation to any other other roads safety
practitioners to attend any Biker Down
Event
• Complete Package and guidance on
delivery available to any FRS FB Team
colleagues or Public Service Road Safety
Practitioners.
What’s Next?
• Ride skills days at
Brands Hatch
• A taster session
introducing some of the
skills that are out there.
• Local involvement of IAM.
• Track day ‘shared with
MSV’
• A different approach to
skills awareness
Bikerdown Taster session
Slow Riding Session
Track session
Observed Ride
Road Craft
The End
(Below: the first ever Biker Down attendees and their Instructors, August 2011)