New technology in Coles County is helping first responders stay safe. They not only use it on their end, but you can see it at work right on your phones through certain apps.
It’s called HAAS Alert. When you use navigation apps like Waze or Apple Maps, you automatically get a notification that officials are on scene along your route.
It’s helping save lives at the same time. Kevin Rankin, deputy chief of the Lincoln Fire Protection District, said it reminds people to slow down and move over, following Scott’s Law. HAAS helps keep his volunteer firefighters safe and get home to their families at the end of the day. When the lights go off and sirens go on, HAAS automatically sends a notification to Apple Maps, Waze and certain car models, warning drivers that first responders are on their routes.