Local Brain Injury Relearning Services manager Donna Stein and Bird Canada market manager Curtis Grills came together to celebrate their organization's helmet safety partnership, which launched in August.--SUBMITTED PHOTO
kking@medicinehatnews.com
Medicine Hat’s Brain Injury Relearning Services and Bird Canada, operator of the city’s e-scooter pilot program, have partnered to create a first-of-its-kind helmet safety and distribution program.
Launched in August, the partnership was first proposed by BIRS following Bird Canada’s local launch earlier this spring.
“A few months ago, the folks over at Brain Injury Relearning Services reached out to us, wanting to speak about the potential for a partnership,” Bird Canada vice president of strategy and business operations Alex Petra told the News.
“Their goal was to provide helmets to people as soon as they want to ride, as sometimes (not having immediate access to a helmet) can prevent people from using one.”
Bird Canada does provide free helmets through its app – and has done so since the local e-scooter pilot project launched in May – however the helmets are not available immediately, as they are shipped to a rider’s home address.
With the new partnership, Bird Canada provides free helmets to BIRS, which then makes the helmets available to community members for same-day pickup at BIRS’ local location (856 Allowance Ave.). Helmets are also distributed through BIRS’ school education programs.
“And BIRS not only distributes these to the citizens of Medicine Hat, but also provides helmet fittings for them,” Petre said. “Because a properly fitted helmet is much more effective in safeguarding your head than one that maybe might be too loose, too tight or are just not properly fitted.”
BIRS manager Donna Stein is grateful to Bird Canada for joining in the partnership, which she invites community members to make use of.
“One of Brain Injury Learning Services’ obligations is to provide injury prevention strategies to residents,” Stein said. “Now that the e-scooters are in our community, we recognize there is a risk of injury to riders, so the best way to mitigate that risk of injury is to get helmets on riders.”
Stein explained, brain injuries can range in severity from mild concussions to traumatic injuries.
Pleased with the partnership, Bird Canada is planning to roll out similar partnerships in other municipalities their service is offered, as early as spring 2023.
