Tulsa Fire Department introduces new bicycle team

TULSA, Okla. — The Tulsa Fire Department (TFD) introduced a brand new team of firefighters equipped to respond to emergencies on bicycles.

It’s all in an effort to help firefighters cut down response times getting to victims in rugged terrains and crowded places.

The two TFD firefighters behind the push to start the team have a passion.

“If it has two wheels and pedals, I’ve raced it my entire life,” Tulsa Firefighter Dave Weaver said.

A passion for hitting the trails.

“I’ve fallen in love with the sport of mountain biking,” Tulsa Firefighter Kayle Greiman said.

And now, Greiman and Weaver are putting their passions to use—saving lives.

“I’m gonna combine two things I love… working at the fire department and riding bikes,” Weaver said.

The two head up the new bike response team. Including them, the team is a group of 24 firefighters trained to ride bikes through rugged terrain, especially at Turkey Mountain, Tulsa’s wilderness park in west Tulsa. TFD responds to numerous calls to help hikers every given week.

“Typically when we hike into these areas it’s between 22 and 26 minutes, if they’re deep in there, where on a bike, we’ve found we’re about four and a half to seven minutes on there,” Weaver said.

And in that terrain, every second counts.

“If there is a person who is in cardiac arrest, they’re going to be able to perform CPR faster. If there is someone that has received a major injury or bleeding or something, we’re gonna be able to render gear to that faster,” Greiman said.

But the utility of a bike spans beyond just the woods and hills.

“We’ve learned to do the training on bikes responding to special events,” Weaver said.

The team made its debut at the Tulsa State Fair this year, followed by Oktoberfest.

“We’re able to take shortcuts through and don’t have to stick to the paths and the roadways,” he said.

The team is still in its early stages. Right now, Greiman and Weaver are the only firefighters on the team to have received two levels of training to equip them to respond to places like Turkey Mountain. The other 22 are set to get that training in the next few months.

It’s a unique solution to a unique problem, put together by some very unique firefighters.

“Being able to combine passions, I feel like the luckiest guy,” Greiman said. “Because I love my job.”