KEEP ON PEDALING

Jun 1, 2005 12:00 PM, BY ELLEN KOLLIE

In July 2004, Kettering Medical Center used bicycle safety patrols at the organization's 40th anniversary party at Kettering, Ohio's Delco Park. With 36,000 guests, the party was secured by 24 officers from the hospital (three of whom were on bikes) and the city's police, fire and other workers.

“We were efficient, and it worked out great — we got a lot of positive feedback from it,” says Mike Emmons, a sergeant at Kettering.

Following that success, the Kettering Medical Center Network (KMCN), which boasts 6,800 employees, has launched bicycle patrols on three of its five campuses with the support of Chief of Security Patrick Bernard. While the program is still in its infancy, officers are enthusiastic about what it can achieve based on early results.

Program structure

On the day of the picnic, Kettering Officer Doug Evans was the only officially trained bike patroller, having earned a police cyclist certification. Since then, Emmons and another officer, Ryan Moeller, have been trained as security cyclists.

The men trained with the International Police Mountain Bike Association (IPMBA), a non-profit educational organization providing resources, networking opportunities and training for public safety bicyclists. The organization (www.ipmba.org) offers a variety of courses: The security course is 24 hours of training, and the police course is 32 hours.

Training is critical to the success of the program at Kettering, Emmons says. “I guess you could get away without official training, but you'd just be asking for trouble.” Training protects the officer, as well as patients and visitors.

Evans has also been certified by the Dayton Police as an international instructor, allowing him to train and certify additional officers for the network. Evans' certification saves the network the $200- to $300-per-student training fee.

Furthermore, both Emmons and Evans have attended a 40-hour maintenance program given by the United States Air Force at Dayton's Wright Patterson Air Force Base, which also uses bicycle patrols. “We're now certified bike maintenance officers,” Evans says. “We should be able to pretty much do everything in-house as far as maintenance or repairs. The only cost is the actual cost of the parts.”

Once in place and properly trained, the team needed uniforms. Kettering chose a black-and-blue, polo-type shirt with reflective piping and “security” written on the back. There is a matching jacket, and the pants have zip-off legs for transformation to shorts. At about $400 each, the uniform is made of fabric that wicks away moisture. “The uniforms are specialized — designed specifically for police or security bicycle patrols,” Evans says. “They are very comfortable.”

Program benefits

Because winter came shortly after launching the bicycle program, the team had to put away its bikes and wait for spring. Still, the benefits became obvious in just a few short months of riding.

“We could talk all day about stealth, as well as visibility,” Emmons says. “I know they are opposites, but they are both very effective in securing a facility.” From the stealth perspective, a bicycle is a lot smaller than a car, thus easier to track a suspect.

Likewise, from a visibility (and crime deterrence) perspective, an officer on bike is easier to see than an officer on foot. “A bike unit is more visible and stands out,” Emmons says. “In addition, our bikes have reflective lenses, lights and sirens. If we are responding to an emergency situation and need to clear a path, we can do it.”

Evans contends that officers on bikes are more accessible to people in need, thus creating a more positive and proactive image of the officers. “People are more likely to approach a bike officer than they are an officer in a car because, a lot of times, the windows in a patrol car are up,” he says. “The car acts somewhat as a barrier.”

The bike patrols provide a service to the entire community. David Back, Kettering's manager of security, notes that, with both a hospital and college (Kettering College of the Medical Arts) side by side, the combined campus is like a city in itself. “There are a lot of areas around the hospital that we patrol,” Back says. Bikes are equipped with first aid kits for such scenarios.

Bikes are also efficient, allowing an officer to use sidewalks, cut through a parking lot or cut across grass. “Bikes cut response time in half,” Emmons says.

Furthermore, says Evans: “A bike officer is also able to use all his senses vs. an officer in a car with windows up, the motor running and the radio on, who can't smell, see or hear as well.”

In addition to improving response time, bicycles enable officers to stay physically fit, while saving the medical center money. “One security vehicle may cost several thousand dollars a year, plus the fuel and repairs,” Evans says. “Compare that to a bike which, on the high side, may cost $100 to $200 per year, and a bike will last several years without a problem.”

From the present to the future

Altogether, KMCN has invested about $7,000 in the bicycle patrol program, which includes three bikes, maintenance equipment, uniforms and training.

With last summer's enthusiastic start, Kettering plans to have one bike officer each shift, thus reducing one vehicle. “Cutting costs is important because our department is not a revenue stream for the hospital,” Back says.

“We're moving in the right direction,” Emmons adds. “We've got our instructor; we've got people to do maintenance; we've got a lot of officers with interest. Our biggest challenge in the future will be getting more bikes for the riders.”

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