Cranberry Township Emergency Service vehicles receive new safety technology
CRANBERRY TWP — First responders regularly find themselves in dangerous situations, often with little regard for their own safety.
But a new technology company called HAAS Alert has developed cloud-based software that helps to ensure the welfare of emergency service personnel.
All of the township’s emergency medical services and fire department vehicles are now equipped with HAAS Alert’s Safety Cloud platform, which automatically sends digital alerts directly to drivers inside their vehicles up to 30 seconds before they reach a road hazard.
“This technology not only keeps us safe, but it provides peace of mind for our men and women as they do their jobs,” said Scott Garing, Cranberry Township chief of fire and emergency services, in a news release. “With the amount of work we do on major road, this system could help prevent a serious incident.”
Those alerts are sent from applications such as Waze, What3words and Stellantis’ in-vehicle Emergency Vehicle Alert System in compatible 2018 and newer Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and RAM vehicles, according to the release.
The system works in tandem with the emergency lights of each vehicle, providing another safety measure for roadside incidents, especially for those that occur on major highways like the Pennsylvania Turnpike, Interstate 79 and Route 228.
“If we’re parked on the side of the road with our lights flashing, it will notify incoming drivers that there’s an emergency scene ahead,” said Cranberry Township EMS executive director Matt Nickl. “So it’s part of Pennsylvania’s Slow Down, Move Over Law, and it just adds a layer of protection to our folks as well who are operating on the side of the road.”
