The law is pretty simple: When emergency vehicles are approaching, either from behind or in front of your car or truck, you must get out of the way. Yet itโs a common occurrence that drivers fail to yield to emergency vehicles, sometimes with disastrous consequences. A study by the National Safety Council found that In 2023 alone, 198 people died in crashes involving emergency vehicles, with more than half of the victims being occupants of nonemergency vehicles. Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue announced in early October that it believes it has found a remedy to that problem and will install it in more than 80 apparatus by the end of 2026: The Haas Alert Safety Cloud.
The system provides โan advanced, real-time alert system to improve the safety of drivers and first responders,โ a release said. Hereโs how it works: The system acts as a digital siren, letting drivers know an emergency vehicle is coming toward them by sending notifications directly to in-car navigation systems and smartphones equipped with navigation software such as Apple Maps and Waze. โThe system creates safety improvements for first responders and the public by making sure drivers get advanced warning to slow down and move over when emergency crews are traveling to an incident or positioned near a roadway,โ the release said.
