Ryan Simms of CBS-affliate KREM in Washington State reports about how Opticom Emergency Vehicle Preemption helps emergency departments in the Spokane area respond quickly and safely to emergencies:
SPOKANE, Wash. — Fire departments in Spokane now have access to a device that could help them get to emergencies faster.
The traffic signal device could improve emergency response times across the Inland Northwest.
Scott Fitzgerald knows how critical a fast response can be when your family is in danger.
“First thought was to grab the phone and get my kid and get out the house,” said Fitzgerald.
A few years ago, a fire raced through his home.
“The oven was on and it had shorted,” said Fitzgerald. “Flames came out of it and it arched through the wall,” he added.
Fitzgerald’s fire emergency, demonstrates how important it is to respond to an emergency as quickly as possible.
The device is called Opticom, a built in computer program that allows firefighters to change the flow of traffic during an emergency.
It also allows rescuers to alter a traffic signal to save precious time.
GTT is improving response times in Spokane, read more and watch the video on CBS-affiliate KREM2.