SEATTLE -- Seattle Fire Department paramedics would ride motorcycles to get through traffic jams to provide emergency medical care under a plan unveiled by city officials Wednesday.

Similar programs in other cities have cut down on response time to critical accidents or medic calls, city officials said.

"All you have to do is look at Fourth Avenue during rush hour, when traffic backs up. No matter how loud our sirens are, there's nowhere to go. With motorcycles, medics will be able to get through and get to the patient faster," said Seattle Fire Chief Gregory Dean.

The motorcycles medics would be dispatched in pairs and would have the ability to do everything they can with a standard medic unit except transferring patients, officials said.

Paramedics said the motorcycles will be equipped with safety features.

"We will be locked into the bike, engaged with (a) vest and in the case one of us would pull away from the bike -- in case of an accident -- this will deploy like an airbag," said Lt. Michael Barokus of the Seattle Fire Department.

Mayor Greg Nickels' 2008 budget proposal includes $570,000 for the two-year pilot program that would begin next year if the city council approves it.