Major milestone for our Biker Down workshops

On 10 May, we proudly celebrated a major milestone - delivering our Biker Down workshop to our 2,000th attendee, exactly 10 years since the programme first launched.

These free, lifesaving workshops are run across Devon and Somerset in partnership with Somerset Road Safety and Vision Zero South West and are open to motorcyclists of all ages. The youngest participant to date was just 11, and the oldest, 87.

Delivered at Taunton Fire Station and our Service Headquarters in Exeter, the sessions are led by a dedicated team of firefighters, paramedics, members of the Fire Bike team, and road safety professionals.

Our highly interactive workshops cover essential emergency skills including CPR, severe bleeding control, helmet removal, use of defibrillators, and road traffic collision scene management.

Over the years, we’ve heard many stories of these skills being used at real-world incidents. Notably, two attendees have saved lives by delivering CPR to casualties in cardiac arrest.

Participants also get a behind-the-scenes visit to our Fire Control Centre, offering insight into how 999 calls are managed and highlighting the vital role of our control staff in emergency response.

Motorcyclists keen on attending an upcoming Biker Down workshop can book via the Biker Down Facebook page www.facebook.com/bikerdowndevonandsomerset or email bikerdown@dsfire.gov.uk.