Going green on fewer wheels

By Audrey Ester, News9.com's INsite Team

OKLAHOMA CITY -- Going green is red hot, and two local companies are using less gas by using fewer wheels.

Security officers at Intergris Baptist Medical Center parked their gas guzzling Toyota truck and hopped on environmentally friendly mountain bikes.

"I'm sure Integris is going to enjoy us being on this, saving them gas," Integris Security Officer Christopher Taylor said.

Joe Eppison, an Integris Security Officer, said it's an easier way to get around too.

The cost savings of parking the truck and putting officers on bikes should be significant.

"We spend about $30 thousand a year on fuel and if you take away one vehicle, that's going to help significantly even if it's just one shift," Eppison said.

The bikes won't compromise hospital safety Eppison said but in fact allows officers to sneak up quietly on would be criminals.

Another local business that's going green where you're used to spending green is in Penn Square Mall.

While you're saving money during tax free weekend, security officers at Penn Sqaure Mall will be helping save the environment by riding t-3 vehicles.

But like the Integris bike patrol, these battery-operated three-wheeled vehicles are not just environmentally friendly.

"They also help our security force in doing their job. I mean it's customer friendly. They can see our security officers much more visibly since they're up a little bit higher," Penn Square Mall Director of Marketing Jeannette Smith said.

Used both inside and outside, officers can maneuver as easily between people as they can in crowded mall parking lots.

"They can travel quickly if they're needed quickly," Smith said. "If there's an emergency somewhere in the mall, they can jump on them and go."

Smith said the mall doesn't plan to purchase any more T-3's, but Integris said if the bike patrol goes well, they plan to put more officers on bikes.