Central Okanagan Search and Rescue will be the first in Canada to debut a fleet of E-bikes.

Volunteers crews will use seven Giant e-mountain bikes for both urban and backcountry initial response calls beginning tonight.

“A year ago, we began exploring equipping our team with e-bikes—mountain bikes with an electric motor assist. We can get to an injured subject faster and render aid quicker," said COSAR e-bike team coordinator Brian Stainsby.

"For initial search activities, we can search a far larger area with e-bikes than on foot and more effectively than with our ATVs. We have been evaluating e-bikes for over a year now and they have proven to be a huge benefit for search and rescue operations.”

The $5,500 bikes have a 500-watt pedal assist motor and were paid for in part by the B.C. Search and Rescue Association as well as local fundraising events.

“They helped us cover a lot of ground, and because they are quieter than a quad or a motorcycle, they allowed us to use sound search techniques. This is really beneficial at night,” said e-bike team search leader Karen Gretzinger.

“We’d like to thank Cyclepath Kelowna and Giant Bicycles Canada for helping us with the cost. Without their support, we would not have been able to field a full team.”