Health First’s air ambulances are racking up a lot more flight time this year as serious e-bike crashes spike across the Space Coast. Flight crews and trauma doctors report a sharp rise in high-speed collisions, often involving riders without helmets, that is sending more patients into the system and driving up the number of missions needing rapid, specialized care. The system’s two First Flight helicopters are spinning up more frequently, and crews say the real scope of the problem is almost certainly larger than what the official numbers show.
According to FOX 35 Orlando, Health First has seen helicopter missions climb by roughly 30 percent, while e-bike trauma calls nearly doubled, jumping from about 55 in 2024 to roughly 90 in 2025. The station visited Health First’s hangar on April 28, 2026, to pull the numbers and talk with staff. Officials told reporters that plenty of injured riders never show up in trauma registries at all, since many go to urgent-care clinics or private doctors instead of being logged in hospital trauma systems.
The First Flight program itself has grown, too. Health First added a second full-time EC135 helicopter based in Titusville last year, effectively doubling countywide air coverage, as reported by Space Coast Daily. The additional aircraft has cut response times in northern Brevard and given crews more flexibility to manage dual scenes during mass-casualty or overlapping emergencies. Even so, medical staff say the surge in e-bike calls is keeping the pressure on resources.
What crews are seeing at crash scenes
On the ground, flight nurses and paramedics are finding riders barreling along at 20 to 40 mph without helmets and paying the price, crews told FOX 35 Orlando. The result is a mix of traumatic brain injuries and multiple fractures that looks a lot more like motorcycle trauma than a casual bike fall. "It's a recipe for disaster," First Flight partner Cory Garrison said. Dr. Larissa Dudley, First Flight's EMS medical director, told reporters that the available data "grossly underestimates" the scope of the problem because so many injuries are treated outside formal hospital trauma logs.
Why helicopters matter
These are not just fancy rides to the hospital. Air ambulances carry critical-care interiors and crews trained to handle advanced cardiac and trauma monitoring, along with rapid airway management while in flight, according to Brevard Business News. The publication notes that First Flight now operates two EC135 helicopters staffed with a pilot and clinical crew who can stabilize complex cases before they ever reach the trauma center. In cases involving head injuries or major blood loss, that combination of speed and on-board care can be the difference between a rough day and a life-altering one.
Policy and safety
While e-bike popularity keeps soaring, the rules and public education efforts are still playing catch-up. Health First and local authorities say legislation and outreach have not kept pace with rapid adoption, and some Central Florida cities are looking at ordinances that would limit speeds and usage in crowded areas, according to Health First. Clinicians are urging riders to wear properly rated helmets, gear up with protective clothing, and follow traffic laws - the sort of low-tech fixes doctors say would prevent many of the worst cases that end up needing a helicopter.
Florida law already requires helmets for riders under 16, but medical leaders argue that enforcement and adult education still need to catch up with the technology on the roads. In the meantime, the spike in calls has real-world consequences: more missions, a faster operational tempo for First Flight crews, and tougher triage calls for first responders. Pilots and trauma teams say the most reliable way to cut down on airlifts is not a new gadget or another helicopter, but prevention - safer gear, slower speeds, and better respect for the rules of the road.
