LOS ANGELES FIRE DEPARTMENT, LOS ANGELES WORLD AIRPORTS BEGIN PILOT PROGRAM USING BIKE MEDICS, MED CART TO SPEED HELP TO INJURED AND SICK AT LAX

Los Angeles, California – October 11, 2017) The next time help is sent to an injured or ill person at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), the first-responders could be arriving on bicycles.

Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) and the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) have begun six-month trial to address the unique needs of LAX when it comes to taking care of sick or injured guests.

LAFD data shows that the majority of EMS (Emergency Medical Service) incidents at LAX do not result in ambulance transports to the hospital, which means the current model of routinely sending fire companies and rescue ambulances to these incidents is not efficient, in time nor cost.

“This pilot program allows the LAFD to provide additional quick-response firefighter/paramedics at Los Angeles International Airport to serve the traveling public as well as the hundreds of people who work at the airport," said LAFD Chief Ralph Terrazas. "We are excited to partner with LAWA to bring the Advanced Practitioner Response Unit and the two cycle teams as additional resources here at the airport and to handle all manner of EMS calls, from low acuity issues to critical medical emergencies.”

“With more than 200,000 passengers at LAX each day, plus the thousands of employees it takes to run the fourth-busiest airport in the world, getting appropriate medical care to sick or injured guests and workers is very important to us,” said Board of Airport Commissioners Vice President Valeria Velasco. “We believe this pilot program will enhance the quality of care at the airport, a crucial part of improving the guest experience.”

“When there is a call for medical help, time is of the essence,” said Pat Gannon, LAWA Deputy Executive Director for Public Safety and Security. “This new bike medic pilot program, which the LAFD developed through the outstanding working relationship we share, allows first responders to move quickly through crowds, assess the situation, and get to work rendering aid. Whether they are able to handle the call on their own, or they can provide care until an ambulance arrives, the bike medic program adds a new dimension to our public safety response options, and is another way we are working to increase safety, security, and efficiency for the traveling public and more than 53,000 badged employees at LAX.”

As part of a pilot program that started earlier this month, two advanced life support (ALS) Cycle Teams are responding to calls, supported by an Advanced Provider Response Unit (APRU) staffed with a Nurse Practitioner and a firefighter/paramedic, all located in the LAX terminals.

The addition of the nurse practitioner and a firefighter/paramedic will allow patients to be evaluated and treated on-site for medical issues within the scope of the nurse practitioner.  This will allow most travelers to continue with their flight plans instead of being transported to a hospital.

Meanwhile, for the fire department, the addition of cycle teams will allow members to arrive on-scene quickly, assess the patient and request the proper resources if needed.  LAFD resources that normally respond to these incidents will be able to remain available to handle other incidents.

The ALS cycle teams will consist of two operational shifts Tuesday through Friday, from 5 a.m. to 1 a.m.  The Advanced Provider Response Unit will be operational Monday through Thursday, from 5 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The goals of the six-month pilot program include:

• Improving the level of EMS service at LAX.
• Decreasing response times to EMS incidents at LAX.
• Decreasing the transport rate of patients from LAX to area medical facilities.
• Decreasing the number of responses to LAX by LAFD resources.
• Increasing the availability of LAFD resources.

LAX welcomed a record 80.9 million passengers in 2016, and is on pace to break that record this year. As the number of passengers has increased, so have the requests for emergency medical services at the airport, which is served by companies in Battalion 4.

The pilot program will include clear metrics to evaluate its success.  At the end of the initial six-month period, the results will be evaluated in order to determine if it should be continued and, if so, should the work hours be expanded.
 
About Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)

LAX is the fourth busiest airport in the world, second in the United States, and was named one of Skytrax’ 2017 Top 10 Most Improved Airports. LAX served more than 80.9 million passengers in 2016. LAX offers 737 daily nonstop flights to 100 cities in the U.S. and 1,386 weekly nonstop flights to 88 cities in 44 countries on 73 commercial air carriers. LAX ranks 14th in the world and fifth in the U.S. in air cargo tonnage processed, with more than 2.2 million tons of air cargo valued at over $101.4 billion. LAX handled 697,138 operations (landings and takeoffs) in 2016.

An economic study based on 2014 operations reported LAX generated 620,600 jobs in Southern California with labor income of $37.3 billion and economic output (business revenues) of more than $126.6 billion. This activity added $6.2 billion to local and state revenues and $8.7 billion in federal tax revenues. The study also reported that LAX’s ongoing capital-improvement program creates an additional 121,640 annual jobs with labor income of $7.6 billion and economic output of $20.3 billion, $966 million in state and local taxes, and $1.6 billion in federal tax revenues.

LAX is also the second most popular airport in the world to appear on Instagram according to wego.com. LAX is part of a system of two Southern California airports – along with Van Nuys general aviation – that are owned and operated by Los Angeles World Airports, a proprietary department of the City of Los Angeles that receives no funding from the City’s general fund.

As a covered entity under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act, the City of Los Angeles does not discriminate on the basis of disability and, upon request, will provide reasonable accommodation to ensure equal access to its programs, services, and activities. Alternative formats in large print, braille, audio, and other forms (if possible) will be provided upon request.

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