Mountain Bike Team Standard Operating Procedures

Description
DART Mountain Bike Teams consists of at least three experienced mountain bike riders that enhance their primary role as First Responder, EMT, SAR Tech and other specialties with their riding abilities. Riders must be prepared to sustain themselves for up to 8 hours without additional support. To do this, riders must have appropriate equipment, wear the specified uniform, participate in required training, and pass minimum qualification testing. Mountain Bike Team membership is awarded only to those DART members who are in good standing and have met the requirements for Mountain Bike Team membership.

Equipment
Mountain biking itself is not a disaster preparedness or search skill. It is an enhancement skill that provides improved speed and mobility. The tools for mountain biking are not dedicated to DART activity. Mountain biking equipment is very personalized to the individual rider. Because of this, mountain bike equipment is generally not issued by DART. Mountain Bike Team members must equip themselves with:

• A functional mountain bike, in good working order, capable of negotiating the road, urban setting, park trails and mountain trails found in Los Gatos.
• Trail-side repair equipment including a patch kit or an extra tube, a pump, and light and tools.
• Headlights for night or dark condition riding.
• A generally white in color cycling helmet that meets all current safety standards.
• Riding gloves that provide palm protection.
• Eye protection.
• Hydration source such as a camelback or water bottles.

On occasion bike equipment is donated to DART. This equipment will be issued to individual team members and remains the property of DART.

Uniform
When wearing personal protective equipment, mountain bikers often look the same. It is imperative that DART Mountain Bike Team members be easily identifiable. Team members shall wear a consistent uniform to aid in this task. Besides the previously mentioned helmet, gloves and eyewear, the uniform will be a DART academy shirt and black BDU shorts or long pants. The academy shirt may be either long or short sleeved. Long sleeved is recommended because of the added protection from sun, abrasion and irritants such as poison oak. The long sleeve shirt can always be rolled up. On exceptionally hot days, the DART T-shirt may be worn as an option at the discretion of the team or ride leader. Padded bike shorts may be worn under the BDU shorts or pants and are recommended. However long bike tights may not be worn under the BDU shorts. The orange DART windbreaker may be worn. Socks must be solid white or black. Shoes must be closed toed, sturdy bike shoes are recommended.

Training
There are very few specific riding skills that can be taught. Training will mostly consist of frequent group rides. During longer daylight hours, rides will be scheduled once per week after the typical workday. Any rider that wishes to instruct a clinic on a riding technique is encouraged to do so. Specific skill training, practice and ability will be required for Advanced Team, or A-Team membership.

Qualification Testing
To qualify as a Basic Team, B-team member, DART riders must pass a skills test that emulated the Police Department P.O.S.T. skills course. The DART course is purposely longer and tighter than the police version. DART also shortens the qualifying time to one and a half minutes. The course is designed to test low speed, tight quarter's maneuverability and control.

Advanced Team qualifications include but may not be limited to:

• Riding from the police department to the top of Saint Joseph's Hill in less than 30 minutes.
• Riding up the stairs at the police department.
• Repairing a flat tire in less than 10 minutes.
• Demonstrating endurance by riding the overgrown loop.
• Demonstrating leadership by hosting a team ride.

Best Uses
Hasty searches of fire trails represent the first assignment normally given to a bike team. Follow up riding creates repeated coverage of high probability search areas. Remote encampments / perimeters can be reached and established by a mountain bike team at the beginning of a search and followed up with logistics support once the other teams have been deployed. Motorized delivery of one or more bike teams to a mountain peak or other high point can facilitate extremely fast searches of a large mountain area.

Support Logistics
A bike team carries everything it needs for going into the field for up to 8 hours. After 8 hours sustaining support will be required. During daytime operations, this will consist of a delivery of the team's 72 hour packs and water. Although, bike team 72-hour packs contain food and shelter for up to 72 hours, during night operations or during operations spanning multiple days, considerations for night operations must be added.

Do not deploy a bike team without a plan in place for their next supply of water! Each team will state their requirements based on the operation. 72-hour packs contain food that is easily improved upon with deliveries of hot meals!

Considerations for Night Operations
Mountain bikes require special lights at night. Either a 12V DC (car) or a 115V AC (standard) power source is required to recharge the batteries for these lights. Each mountain bike team can patrol for 2 hours at night before they run out of batteries. With two deliveries per day, a mountain bike team can perform roving patrol for 2 hours each night and 2 hours each day while camping at a remote location.

Those deliveries would consist of an early morning pickup of batteries and a late afternoon or early evening delivery of charged batteries. Battery chargers will be provided by the bike team, but must be plugged into either 12V DC (car lighters) or 115V AC power for 10-12 hours. Instructions on charging will be provided by the bike teams.