Pickering Fire Services is adding a digital alerting system to its trucks, giving drivers up to 30 seconds of advance warning when an emergency vehicle is approaching or stopped at an incident.
The service is implementing HAAS Alert’s Safety Cloud system, which sends advance in-vehicle alerts to notify drivers when emergency vehicles are approaching, potentially before the trucks are visible or their sirens can be heard. The system also alerts motorists when emergency vehicles are stopped at an incident and crews may be working nearby.
Alerts reach drivers in two ways: through in-vehicle dashboards in 2018 and newer Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and RAM vehicles, as well as 2024 and newer Volkswagen vehicles, and through supported navigation apps including Waze and Apple Maps.
The first installation is now complete on Ladder 55, which is in service and responding from Station 5. A total of 12 trucks will be equipped with the system, with implementation continuing over the next several weeks.
“When our community needs us, every second counts,” said Fire Chief Steve Boyd. “Getting our crews to emergencies quickly and safely, while protecting them as they work on scene, is critical. This technology gives motorists more time to make safe decisions on the road.”
The technology supports Ontario’s ‘Slow Down, Move Over’ law, which requires motorists to slow down, signal and move over for emergency vehicles. More information about the system is available at haasalert.com.
Source: City of Pickering.
Source: City of Pickering
Featured image: illustration, not documentary photography. Original editorial illustration created for AllAboutDurham; not a photograph of a real vehicle, person, or incident.
