Rescue Riders recruit cyclists for emergency work

By DAVID GIALANELLA

Jan 14, 2008 --

Scott M. Bort / Associated Press Dean Akey sits on his motorcycle outside of his office in St. Charles Ill. Akey is part of Rescue Riders, a group of volunteer bikers who are trained in basic emergency response. The group has recruited about 125 members since its inception three years ago, and it hopes more members will join.

ELGIN Ill. Most people don't think of motorcycles as emergency response vehicles, probably because they never had been used in that capacity until some folks in Kane County came up with a winning idea.

"It hadn't been done before to my knowledge," said Dean Akey of Rescue Riders, a group of volunteer bikers who are trained in basic emergency response.

The group has recruited about 125 members since its inception three years ago and hopes more will join, said Akey, of St. Charles.

Rescue Riders came about after county officials approached Akey, he said. He already had started a group called "Bikers for Bikers," which does fundraisers for fallen riders. Originally, Rescue Riders was more of a "taxi service" for emergency workers and supplies. But then everyone started to realize that it makes more sense to train the bikers themselves in basic response so they can keep things under control until the professionals come onto the scene, Akey said.

Speedy response

Now all his troops — who also are Kane County Medical Reserve Corps volunteers — are trained in CPR, first aid, triage and accident-scene management. What they lack in expertise, they somewhat make up for in speediness.

"It just takes longer for a traditional emergency vehicle," he said. "You can ride (a motorcycle) between lanes of traffic and on sidewalks."

Rescue Riders did not play a major role in the recent flood response. It's a rarity that Kane County experiences a disaster severe enough to require the Rescue Riders' services. But Akey and his comrades aren't just sitting around waiting: They also escort bikers on large weekend rides at no cost, as there often are accidents with so many motorcycles in one place.

Akey said they also are always scrambling to train as many bikers as possible in basic emergency response. Because riding is significantly more dangerous than driving a car, all bikers need as much training as they can get, he said.

Though it might be difficult to put a price tag on the ability to save a life, cost is no issue anyway."

We don't charge anybody," Akey said. "

We train them for free. All we want from someone is to invest their time. It doesn't cost them a penny."