Penn Hills volunteer firefighters deploy new alert technology
PENN HILLS TOWNSHIP, PA. (KDKA) - One of the biggest dangers for firefighters is vehicles traveling on roadways.
That's why Penn Hills Volunteer Fire Company No. 7 installed Haas Alert transponders in five of their vehicles.
"Anything we can do to make our responders safer on the scene, make the public safer on the scene, we're all about it," said Penn Hills Volunteer Fire Company No. 7 Chief Bill Jeffcoat.
Jeffcoat said the devices send alerts to drivers when they should move over or slow down as firefighters are heading to a scene or they are already on an emergency scene.
He said when they turn on their lights, an audio and visual message will pop up on mobile GPS apps like Waze and Google Maps, and vehicle infotainment centers in vehicles.
"It's when our emergency lights are activated, it will tell them whenever they come in close contact with them that we are responding to an emergency and once the system detects that we stopped moving, it kind of changes its notification that tells them there is an accident or emergency incident," Jeffcoat said.
Pennsylvania's Move Over Law requires drivers approaching emergencies to move into a far lane or slow down.
This past Saturday, a South Strabane ladder truck was struck while crews were responding to a crash on I-70 East and later that night a firefighter was nearly hit by another speeding vehicle.
Jeffcoat and his firefighters had a close call nearly a year ago while on the scene of an accident on the Parkway.
"We had one specific incident where a motorist side-swiped a tractor trailer and as a result of an accident, they were injured themselves," he said.
He said his department is the first in Allegheny County to deploy this technology.
According to Haas Alert, their technology reduces the risk of collision by up to 90 percent.
Jeffcoat said one device costs about $500 a year so they will pay around $2,500 annually. He said it's a small price to pay for safety.
If more departments get on board, they can add a feature to prevent emergency vehicle collisions with responder-to-responder alerts.
"For any department that runs any kind of interstate, parkway, turnpike calls, it should be a no brainer to adopt this technology," he Jeffcoat said.
Pennsylvania Turnpike safety patrol vehicles have the same Haas Alert technology.
