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		Motorcycles Get You There Faster
São Paulo, Brazil Fire Department motorcycles and equipment carried. Training Exercise "Quick Attackers" used by the Tokyo Fire Department.		The time to respond to fire with traditional emergency vehicles is increased greatly by traffic-clogged streets in major cities. Minutes saved in response to fires or medical emergencies are critical. In some areas of São Paulo, Brazil, with a population of 10 million, response times for traditional emergency vehicles can be 12 to 15 minutes. Using a pair of motorcycles, the fire service in the same area reduces the response time to 5 minutes. Of course, motorcycles are very limited in the amount of equipment they can carry. However, there is a great benefit to having trained fire fighters/EMS personnel on the scene as quickly as possible to extinguish fires using building extinguishers or hoses, or to size up the situation and provide guidance for the amount of additional resources needed.	The São Paulo Fire Department's 400 cc motorcycles have a compartment containing: basic EMS equipment, tools, signaling devices, and other accessories, such as hand lights and elevator keys.   In Tokyo, similar fire fighting motorcycle units nicknamed "Quick Attackers" use two types of 200 cc motorcycles that respond to emergencies together as an off-road emergency unit. The type T is loaded with an impulse portable fire extinguishing system. The type U is loaded with simple rescue equipment and fire extinguishers. They are designed to provide: quick firefighting, rescue, medical first aid treatment, and fact-finding at earthquake and other disaster scenes. There are 20 Quick attackers in service that in one year responded to emergencies 506 times.	To address similar response needs in crowded areas, U.S. fire departments in Seattle, New York, Miami-Dade, Lansing, Mich., are using alternate vehicles (bicycles, ATV’s, and electric carts) for EMS response. For additional information contact: Lt. Mauro Lopes dos Santos, Corpo de Bombeiros – São Paulo, Brazil (e-mail mauro@polmil.sp.gov.br). The web site for the São Paulo Fire Department is http://www.polmil.sp.gov.br/ccb, contact for the Tokyo Fire Department (TFD), International Affairs Office is by fax at (81) + 3-3211-0693. Please note since the majority of TFD's information and documents are written in Japanese, they may not be able to reply to inquiries in English. The web site for the TFD is URL: http://www.tfd.metro.tokyo.jp
		From the Editor
		Welcome to new readers and everyone returning for this second issue. Since our first issue in the spring FIRE.GOV has attracted 700 readers. I appreciate all the favorable comments we have received from many of you. Some of the readers have requested information on specific areas of interest, such as equipment.	The staff and I are doing what we can to find and report relevant research activities that match these special requests. In this issue we have taken advantage of the electronic media and providing a video and many photographs that can be downloaded, viewed, and used in any of your own web sites.	Please let me know about activities that you think others need to know about. Enjoy this issue. Dave Evans – Editor

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Contact Information:

National Institute of  Standards and Technology 100 Bureau Drive, MS 8640 Gaithersburg, MD 20899 David Evans Email: editor@fire.gov Phone: 301-975-6897 Fax: 301-975-4052	U.S. Fire Administration 16825 S. Seton Avenue Emmitsburg, MD 21727 Bob McCarthy Email: Bob.McCarthy@fema.gov Phone: 301-447-1130 Fax: 301-447-1093
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Editor:  David Evans     
Associate Editor:  Nora Jason    
Design and Layout:  Kellie Beall