Phoenix firefighters are now pedaling into the city's trail network on e-bikes loaded with medical bags and helicopter hoist gear, part of a new rescue strategy launched last month as mountain rescue calls keep climbing across the Valley. The Phoenix Fire Department rolled out the e-bike teams on September 23, stationing them at two hubs chosen for their proximity to the busiest trailheads in the city.
According to ABC15, the teams operate out of Station 28 near South Mountain and Station 45 in North Phoenix, with two firefighters riding bikes carried on support trucks directly into the preserves. Those crews carry medical bags and hoist equipment meant to stabilize a patient until foot teams or helicopter support can arrive. Captain Tupac Enrique told the station the bikes are expected to cut initial patient-contact response times on trails by at least 50%, a projection that matters most for heat-related emergencies, where he said quick decisions are critical.
A Season of Rising Rescue Calls
The numbers behind the rollout are stark. Phoenix firefighters have responded to roughly 100 mountain rescues across the city so far this year, with 40 of those calls coming from South Mountain alone, the outlet's report notes. That mirrors a broader surge documented by the Daily Independent, which found mountain rescues jumped 50% in the first five months of 2026 compared with the same period in 2025, averaging around 15 dispatches a month.
South Mountain Park and Preserve, which spans more than 16,000 acres and ranks among the largest municipal urban parks in the country, accounts for roughly 23% of all Phoenix mountain rescue calls, with 132 dispatches recorded there between 2021 and early 2026, Hoodline's earlier coverage of a South Mountain crash reported. Station 28 is one of the program's first two hubs.
Who Actually Gets Stranded Out There
It's a persistent myth that trail rescues mostly involve unprepared tourists. Nearly 71% of 614 mountain-rescue cases (437) involved local Arizona residents rather than out-of-state visitors. Local hikers, it turns out, often underestimate how brutal the desert heat becomes on the descent, not just the climb.
Heat illness, rather than falls or trauma, drives the overwhelming majority of these calls. During Phoenix's 2025 summer heat season, 85% of mountain rescues were caused by heat-related illness. That same reporting detailed the physical toll on crews themselves, who routinely carry up to 145 pounds of specialized equipment on foot across steep terrain in extreme heat — a burden the e-bikes are designed to ease.
Where the Bikes Can and Cannot Go
The technology has real limits. Phoenix Fire Department spokesperson DJ Lee said the e-bikes can travel up to 15 miles on a single charge to reach patients along long, non-steep trails, but they cannot be deployed on highly technical or steep routes like Camelback Mountain, according to KJZZ. Technical rescues on steep peaks still require foot crews or helicopter hoists, the same report noted.
Captain Enrique described the e-bike teams as able to reach patients in lower and moderate terrain more quickly than crews arriving on foot, per ABC15's reporting. The department is still evaluating which trails work best for the new bikes and continues to deploy additional foot crews and air support alongside e-bike units when a rescue demands it. Enrique called the program innovative and forward-thinking, aimed at finding better solutions as call volume climbs.
Phoenix's approach isn't happening in isolation. The Scottsdale Fire Department became a regional model when it rolled out e-bikes for mountain rescues in August 2025, a pilot that eventually prompted Phoenix Fire to request its own e-bike teams, according to 12News. Scottsdale operates six e-bikes.
Phoenix's Heat-Safety Rules
Echo Canyon and Piestewa Peak's Summit Trail close during an Extreme Heat Warning, according to Patch.
