Below is the correspondence between Beverly and myself concerning the Bike Trail Ambassadors. I hope it will be of interest.
Hi Jim,
I saw the posting on 50+ about sharing this information. I have no objection to that but thought I would go ahead and answer your questions here. Feel free to post in on 50+, too.
1. How did your group get started? Did the county put a plan in motion or did someone such as yourself initiate the program?
Five Rivers MetroPark had the "Bike for the Health of It" program in the beginning. The idea of having people patrol the trail grew out of that program. I think it was an idea between the park and people who were leading the rides.
2. Do you have an operating budget?
The volunteer group doesn't have a budget but I'm sure the park does. They supply us with cycling jerseys, cycling jackets, first aid kits, radios and training. The first aid/CPR training is free to us. We've taken League of American Bicyclist training courses, too. We usually have a couple bike maintenance courses each year. The maintenance classes are taught my a couple members who have worked in bike shops.
3. How do you grow your membership?
When we need additional members the park advertises for volunteers on their website and in their quarterly publication. To become a member of the patrol groups you must go through an interview process and training.
4. Do you have any support from local police Dept's.? If so what type?
We work mainly with the ranger division of the park. At the beginning of a patrol ride we call the rangers to let them know where we will be riding in case there is something they might want us to check out. If we see anything suspicious or need their help we contact them immediately so they can respond.
5. Do you have any support from local communities that the trail passes through? If so what type?
Our radios and extra first aid supplies are kept in cabinets along the trails in several of the communities. All the cabinets are located inside fenced areas and we have keys to open the gates and access our cabinets.
6.Do any local bike stores give you any support? If so what type
Many of the bike shops give the volunteers a small discount on purchases. The Dayton Cycling Club provides us with tubes we use while on patrol. The tubes are free to trail riders who don't have one....and there are many new riders who don't carry a tube and pump :-) We usually have to change those flat tires, too.
7. What is the main objective of the Trail Ambassadors'? (Goodwill, trail maintenance, assist riders with maintenance, other)
Our main objective is to be ambassadors for the park. We have an extensive paved trail network in the area and we have many out-of-town riders who aren't familiar with the area. We carry maps of the trails for them, answer any questions they have and assist them in any way we can.
The rangers say we're an extra set of eyes and ears for them. We have no authority but we have the radios to call them if we see anything that requires their attention. We do remind park users of the rules when we see things such as dogs off leashes, etc. Most people are very cooperative and I've never encountered any problems.
8.Do you have a planned training program for new members?
Yes. In addition to the interview process they receive training on using the radios, first-aid/CPR and an overview of what is expected from the bike patrol volunteer. Our annual training meeting is coming up this month. The new members will receive about 8 hours of training. Prior members join them for the last 4 hours. The rangers provide most of the training. They want to be sure we know how to respond to different situations we might encounter on the trails.
I hope this has helped and wish you luck in getting a group started in your area.
Beverly