The Western Albemarle Rescue Squad (WARS) has partnered with the HAAS Alert System (www.haasalert.com) to allow drivers to see what emergency vehicles might be on the roads near them. The HAAS “Safety Cloud” system coordinates with Apple and Google maps, Waze, and even GPS on some newer vehicles. “Whether you are approaching an emergency scene, an emergency vehicle is approaching you, or you are about to cross paths with an emergency vehicle, this system will provide you with an alert and location of the emergency vehicle so you can best prepare,” explained the press release from Patrick Watson, WARS Deputy Chief. “WARS is committed to the safety of our responders, and roadsides are the most dangerous location for responders to operate.” WARS sometimes responds to incidents on Afton Mountain and elsewhere which VDOT considers “high crash zones.”
The HAAS Safety Cloud system is designed to reduce the risk of collision for all first responders—be they police, fire, or rescue squad personnel—and keep the community safe. As you know, motorists are required to pull over to allow approaching emergency vehicles to pass safely, and should give wide berth to emergency scenes as they pass. “We frequently run calls along the interstate and roadways and we have had our share of close calls,” Watson added in an email. “So, we are always looking for opportunities to keep our members safer. When we learned there was an integration with vehicles and navigation systems that will become a standard requirement in newer emergency vehicles manufactured after 2023, we decided to add this to our existing fleet now rather than waiting for vehicle replacement, which could take 10-15 years.”
Users connect to the alert system via the GPS in their newer cars (for certain manufacturers like Jeep, Dodge, Mercedes, etc.) or by having Waze, Apple maps, or Google maps navigation open on their phones. The system will recognize and alert the driver, both visually and aurally, to the proximity of any equipped vehicle, which in our area so far includes ambulances and one fire truck. The system will announce “Emergency Vehicle Ahead” or “Emergency Vehicle Approaching,” depending on whether you are coming up on the vehicle or the vehicle is coming up on you. Eventually it may be added to police cars and school buses as well. Since the HAAS system is used nationally, it will work even when you are traveling in other areas that have enabled their emergency vehicles.
