For a decade, Ambulance Victoria’s (AV) motorcycle paramedics have been weaving through Melbourne’s busiest streets, delivering critical care when every second counts. Created to beat congestion and reach patients faster, this specialist unit is now a vital part of Victoria’s emergency response network.
Operating mainly in Melbourne’s CBD, these highly skilled paramedics also cover major events and nearby suburbs, reaching patients in hard-to-access spots. Their motorcycles carry modified ambulance gear—including defibrillators, medications, airway tools, and trauma supplies—enabling rapid, life-saving care.
Motorcycle paramedics are dispatched alongside traditional ambulances and often arrive first. They assess the scene, request extra resources if needed, or cancel ambulances en route to avoid wasting valuable resources.
“Sometimes call takers can’t get all the details immediately, so sending a motorcycle paramedic quickly allows for on-the-spot assessment and frees up other crews if it’s a less serious case,” said AV Specialist Resources Team Manager Josh Tait.
The unit currently includes seven experienced paramedics, like Alex Ricco, who joined in July 2024 after a decade with AV. Alex highlights the unit’s impact on both high- and low-acuity cases.
“We bring high-quality care directly to patients in places where ambulances can’t park, getting potentially life-saving treatment to serious cases faster,” he said. “We also triage less serious cases, ensuring patients get the right care—whether that means hospital transport or referral to other healthcare options.”
Alex, a passionate motorcyclist, was drawn to the unit to combine his love for riding with his paramedic work. The team rides BMW GS900 motorcycles equipped with sirens, emergency lights, and panniers loaded with life-saving gear, bringing ambulance capabilities where four wheels can’t go.
Josh Tait explains that motorcycles help overcome challenges common in congested areas: “They move through traffic more easily and access places like parks, bike paths, and tunnels.”
Veteran paramedic Rob Mits, who joined the unit after 20 years on the road, said becoming a motorcycle paramedic requires advanced riding skills, with ongoing training and tests. “I love the job. It’s busy but rewarding—sometimes we attend up to 15 cases a day.”
Because motorcycle paramedics hand patients over to ambulance crews for transport, they’re quickly available for the next call, often carrying a higher caseload than regular paramedics.
“The sooner an ambulance arrives—whether motorcycle or conventional—the sooner treatment begins. Especially in serious cases, every minute counts and faster response means better outcomes,” Rob said.
Ambulance Victoria’s motorcycle unit officially launched in November 2015 after a successful trial, and has been an essential part of emergency care in Melbourne ever since.
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