RED BIKE medical technologies Joining Forces with Famed EMS Illustrator Steve Berry to Educate, Improve Safety and Inject Humor

Peoria, IL, August 26, 2009--In its ongoing efforts to promote and support technologies to improve EMS outcomes and EMS Bike Team programs, RED BIKE medical technologies will be teaming up with famed EMS cartoonist and illustrator, Steve Berry, BA, NREMT-P, a part-time paramedic with Southwest Teller County EMS.

RED BIKE’s Managing Director, Rich Obertots noted, “Along with being the leading cartoonist in EMS, Steve Berry is a leading-edge educator and visionary. With his many years’ front-line experience, his passion for safety and EMS wellness, plus his speaking almost weekly to EMS audiences throughout North America – he is in touch, listening to concerns and striving to act on these. RED BIKE is excited to engage with Steve on several initiatives from utilizing his illustrations in our Red Bike University eLearning, 365 Safety AMRM software and www.emsCharts.com efforts to initiatives with EMS cycling events, fitness and EMS Bike Team development that will help to optimize his strengths and ours to improve EMS outcomes.”

Berry has published 10 EMS-related cartoon books since his escapades as a paramedic/EMS instructor began 25 years ago.

“Rich Obertots and I found that we had things in common regarding bikes, education, fitness and safety,” says Berry, who rides a Specialized mountain bike about 60 miles per week. “Biking is an incredible experience and more agencies are embracing this concept. We’re also pushing bike teams for EMTs and medics because of health reasons. Many are out of shape because at some services they may often have periods of down time between calls. Also, some are not getting adequate exercise when not on duty. An EMS bike team introduces a healthy attitude towards your staff. It’s a great way to get into shape.”

Like RED BIKE, Berry also remains focused on his mission to promote safety among EMS providers. He says that EMS providers often work in an environment that poses many health risks including injury, disease exposure and emotional/psychological trauma.

One great way to bring awareness of EMS Bike Teams and safety is through the National EMS Memorial Bike Ride which Berry is an advocate and PIO board member of.

“EMS is a physically demanding profession and the bike ride is a good way to promote healthy lifestyles for EMS providers,” he says. “The bike ride is also a great way to get people from around the country interested in bike riding.”

The National EMS Memorial Bike Ride was organized to honor, memorialize, and celebrate the lives of those Emergency Medical Service providers who:

· Serve their communities everyday

· Have become sick or injured while performing their duties

· Have died in the line of duty

According to Berry, riders gather from around the country. Twenty nine states are represented this year as well as several riders from Ireland, Germany, and Canada. Each rider has their own personal story of why they choose to bicycle 600 miles. Most of them are not professional riders. For some it will be their first experience wearing spandex. Most have suffered a personal loss. Some are there because they want to support others in their loss.

Raising public awareness about line of duty deaths and disabilities in the EMS profession is a primary goal of the National EMS Memorial Bike Ride, but there are additional objectives which focus on preventing such tragedies from occurring in the first place.

Those objectives include:

· “We believe all EMS professionals are entitled to work in an environment in which their safety and health are a top operational priority.

· We believe all EMS providers should receive disability and death benefits on par with police officers and firefighters.

· We believe volunteer EMS personnel should receive insurance that will cover them in the event of injury, illness or disability while providing EMS services.

· We believe the occupational risks to EMS personnel must be protected through investment in research of occupational hazards and improved safety training and equipment.

· We believe there is a need for the national tracking of injuries, near misses and line of deaths of EMS providers.”

The ride begins from multiple starting points – one in New York City and the other in Somerset, Kentucky. Both rides conclude in Roanoke, Virginia with riders attending the National EMS Memorial Service held in May. The National EMS Memorial is independent of the National EMS Memorial Bike Ride and is made up of its own independent board members. The purpose of the National EMS Memorial is to honor those EMS personnel who have died in the line of duty and to recognize the ultimate sacrifice they have made for their fellow man. The first National EMS Memorial Service was held in 1992. This will be the last year the service in held in Roanoke. In 2010, the annual observance will be held in Colorado Springs, Colorado where a permanent memorial will be built.

Berry says that he’s looking forward to working with Rich Obertots, Managing Director of RED BIKE, and the rest of his staff.

“Rich was part of The Dysrhythmics which I thought was funny and humor was much needed in the profession,” says Berry. “I didn’t know Rich was part of the group until recently. He found out what I was doing and called me. We both have a mutual respect for each other and discovered our common interests of combining humor with EMS. He also knew I was into biking and part of our mission was to bring safety issues to light.”

To start, Berry plans to help RED BIKE enhance its safety programs and eLearning with illustrations. “So we are combining both of our talents,” says Berry. “Hopefully we can support each other and our causes. We have a common interest in biking, safety, education and humor. We’ll put all these together and see what happens.”

Most importantly, Berry hopes they can bring more awareness of safety issues.

“I’d also like to help get the National EMS Memorial Bike Ride more known and hopefully we can get 1,000 riders someday,” he says. “Rich and I can complement each other, and we can inject humor into it. People often remember the message if they laugh. We can laugh at ourselves and convey an important message.”

Obertots stated, “I was honored when Steve related to me how The Dysrhythmics medical music and ‘Vic & Vern’s EMS, STAT Rescue, Car Wash and Video Rental’ comedy skits impacted him positively and inspired him to integrate his illustrating talents and humor in EMS educating. It’s proven how levity, emotional elements and entertainment can improve outcomes for learning adults. We are long-timers in EMS, and still fully immersed and fully engaged in today’s most up to date technologies. So – we will combine talents, wisdom and technologies in ways not seen before. Be ready!”

Berry said, “Rich has the business savvy and I think I have a warped sense of humor. I hope to be able to do the illustrations and get the safety and cycling message out. I also hope we can get riders from all over the country to represent at least one agency each during the National EMS Memorial Bike Ride.”

For more information on Steve Berry, visit his Web site at www.iamnotanambulancedriver.com.

For more information on the National EMS Memorial Bike Ride go to www.muddyangels.com

For more information on emsCharts go to www.emsCharts.com

About RED BIKE: RED BIKE assists EMS Systems by developing and providing effective medical technologies, dynamic data management, and eLearning. RED BIKE adopted its name, in part to promote and support cost-effective, environmentally-conscious, fitness-friendly EMS Bike Medic programs that are now prevalent and poised for exponential growth in EMS communities around the globe. The company is devoted to breaking away from outmoded technologies and methods that do not achieve high yield sustainable outcomes.

For more information on RED BIKE, visit www.redbike-med.com.