Drivers in Vermont’s capital city should soon be safer on the road – thanks to a new system to send out alerts about ambulances and fire trucks working nearby.
The Montpelier Fire Department announced Thursday that they are using an online safety system that will send alerts to Waze, Apple Maps, and a number of newer cars.
The system, called Safety Cloud, is by a company named HAAS Alert. The company is named for its first CEO, Cory Hohs, who founded the company after he was nearly hit by an emergency vehicle in downtown Chicago.
“When our lights activate, Safety Cloud gives drivers critical extra time to anticipate us and safely react – protecting both our personnel and the public we serve,” said Montpelier Fire Chief Derek Libby. “Roadside line-of-duty deaths are preventable tragedies.”
In addition to navigation apps, some car models beginning in 2018 will also receive the alerts on their dashboards.
The company says that Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, and RAM vehicles of model year 2018 and newer will receive them, as well as Volkwagens from 2024 and newer.
The system is already used by at least five agencies in Vermont, including the Grand Isle Volunteer Fire Department.