Homecomings of the past
Fairfield West goes wild
Extreme Makeover: Home edition
Township mulls new tech for emergency vehicles
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
WEST CHESTER TWP. — New technology could help responding emergency crews get through intersections more safely.
West Chester Twp. trustees opted Tuesday night, May 13, to consider plans to install "pre-emption technology" in the fire department's vehicles. Once installed, the devices would communicate with sensors already installed on some traffic signals in the township to allow fire engines, ambulances and other emergency vehicles to get green lights when approaching intersections. The devices would switch the signals to red for traffic in all other directions.
Extras
West Chester Fire Chief Tony Goller said the technology detects a number of factors, including speed, direction, brake lights and turn signals. It also identifies which emergency vehicle is approaching.
"The biggest benefit is for the safety of other motorists," Goller said.
A different pre-emptive device malfunctioned at a Fairfield intersection in August 2006, leading to a fatal crash. A Fairfield firefighter driving an emergency vehicle drove through a red light and struck a vehicle driven by a 73-year-old woman, who died as a result. Firefighter Matthew Schumann was convicted of vehicular manslaughter. He was sentenced to community service and probation.
Goller said the technology West Chester Twp. is considering is more reliable and detects approaching vehicles much sooner than the device that malfunctioned in Fairfield.
Judith Boyko, township administrator, said the project was included in this year's budget. Buying the equipment would cost between $2,400 to $3,000, for each vehicle, and installation would cost $275 per vehicle, Goller said. To install the equipment on all of the department's 22 vehicles, it could cost as much as $72,050.
Contact this reporter at (513) 820-2122 or rwilson@coxohio.com.
