Battle Fire Station Biker Drop-In

Battle Biker Drop-In was born following discussions around the mess-table at Battle Fire Station one sunny Sunday morning in April 2007.

The sound of bikes passing by the station  during Spring and Summer was not unusual. Unsurprisingly, the activity intensified dramatically when the Sun appeared from behind the clouds.

Sunday 29 April 2007 was one such morning and the roundabout which greets road users visiting the town was host to various groups of riders deciding which exit to take, with the options of London Road, North Trade Road or down the High Street and into Battle itself to choose from.

Why not give them a fourth option? 

Battle Fire Station.

The reasoning behind this was quite simple. Sussex is a county which attracts a large number of motorcyclists during the Spring and Summer months. It's no surprise, Sussex has some excellent roads winding through spectacular scenery. Biking heaven for many.

Unfortunately, all too often this comes at a very high price. The idyllic scene is destroyed in a heartbeat.

22 motorcyclists lost their lives on Sussex roads in 2006. During 2007 the number of fatalities was 23. Riders like you and us. Families, friends and communities left devastated.

The question we asked ourselves was this. What can we do to assist in reducing the number of riders killed or seriously injured on Sussex roads?

The answer was staring us in the face. Invite riders into the station and talk to them. No lectures, just talk.

As Firefighters and motorcyclists ourselves, we are in the fortunate, if that's the right word, position of being able to appreciate why people ride motorcycles but, at the same time, have attended incidents involving bikes which have resulted in fatalities and serious injuries to their riders and other road users.

We know exactly the end result when the week-end rideout goes horribly wrong. We have turned out to deal with the aftermath on many occasions alongside our colleagues in the Police and Ambulance services.

The old adage of Prevention being better than Cure certainly rings true in this context especially when, on many occasions unfortunately, cure isn't actually a viable option. 

The next question was what do we need to do to persuade motorcyclists to visit us on a Sunday morning when, in all probability, they would prefer to be riding their bikes rather than talking to us?

A free cup of tea or coffee? Use of a washroom? An area to lube the chain or carry out minor maintenance? Somewhere to clean visors and screens? Information on local roads to enjoy or avoid? A venue to meet up with others during a ride-out?

All of these and more but, most important of all, a place to go to discover useful information which, if acted upon, has the real potential to reduce the risk of serious harm coming to you or your mates.

To be precise, BikeSafe road-riding skills assessment and advanced motorcycle training.

The Sussex Police BikeSafe scheme offers riders the opportunity to have their road-riding skills assessed by trained and experienced Class One Advanced Police motorcyclists. Information on various advanced riding courses is also provided.

So please feel free to drop-in one Sunday morning for a cuppa and a chat with the Battle crew. There is no hard-sell with regard to BikeSafe or advanced training. We can give you information, application forms and even personal testimonies but ultimately, of course, the decision to follow it up is solely yours.

That's it, in a nut-shell. A simple idea. Agreed, but aren't they usually the best?

On a lighter note, Battle Biker Drop-In also provides an ideal opportunity to talk about and show off your bike to like-minded enthusiasts. An opportunity most bikers I know would find hard to pass up.

After approval, risk assessment and a lot of hard work, Battle Fire Station Biker Drop-In was launched on Sunday 10 June 2007.