Fire and police departments in neighboring cities often share resources and help each other through mutual aid. These agencies rely on compatibility with each other’s traffic infrastructure, which can complicate upgrading to newer technologies. Fortunately, customers still relying on aging preemption technology like infrared can often leverage their existing infrastructure to upgrade to radio-based distributed architecture or software-based centralized architecture solutions. GTT works with cities to evaluate their current infrastructure, funding preferences and long-term vision to help them upgrade their legacy preemption technology with little-to-no disruption.
Population growth is changing metropolitan areas to such an extent that suburbs (and the cities they surround) are becoming one in many ways. Adjoining police or fire departments sharing resources and helping each other through mutual aid has become commonplace. The emergency services departments of neighboring communities rely on compatibility with each other’s traffic infrastructure, which can complicate upgrading to newer technologies. In many communities, regional transit agencies have buses that cross multiple municipal borders on their way downtown.
Fortunately, customers still relying on aging preemption technology like infrared can often leverage their existing infrastructure to upgrade to radio-based distributed architecture or software-based centralized architecture solutions. In fact, customers can upgrade their technology in phases while leaving older equipment installed for mutual aid. Newer phase selectors – the point of logic in a distributed architecture – support both infrared (IR) and radio-based communications and even a centralized architecture, if that city has an Automated Traffic Management System (or ATMS).
On the vehicle side, a multimode emitter can be used to preempt lights with infrared and/or radio-based communications, while existing vehicle modems can be used to support centralized architectures.
Multimode offers complete interoperability between traffic light strobe or IR- and radio-enabled priority control systems. Cities can invest in an advanced, scalable system at a more efficient, affordable pace. Problem corridors can be upgraded to radio-enabled preemption and the vehicles can still request preemption in other areas of the city using IR technology. Plus, multimode operation enables multiple emergency responders — even those from other communities — to use either activation technology seamlessly to reach emergencies more quickly and safely.
Such components help bridge the gap for regions with varying types of priority control. Departments can use legacy Opticom traffic light strobe or IR systems in some areas while upgrading to a radio-enabled system in others. Agencies can work together to leverage technology across an entire region to phase in smarter traffic management solutions for every department. Many cities leverage the technology further by using the existing infrastructure at intersections to equip public transit or municipal vehicles, while still giving top priority to emergency vehicles.
Combine multimode components with Opticom Central Management Software to give traffic engineers data-driven information in real time, so they can make more informed decisions that improve emergency response service levels, reduce maintenance costs and enhance traffic safety.
GTT works with cities to evaluate their current infrastructure, funding preferences and long-term vision to help them upgrade their preemption technology with little-to-no disruption.
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