Mar 21, 2024 By Karen Mansfield 6 min read

Waynesburg Franklin Township Volunteer Fire Company has added Safety Cloud by HAAS Alert technology to its apparatus.

Safety Cloud’s digital alerting works by sending real-time notifications to nearby drivers, warning them of the presence of emergency vehicles and road workers.

A Greene County fire company has added a new piece of technology designed to provide real-time updates of nearby emergencies to drivers.

Safety Cloud by HAAS Alert protects first responders and enhances driver compliance with Move Over laws by sending real-time notifications when approaching active responders en route or on scene, the Waynesburg Franklin Township Volunteer Fire Company said in a press release.

The equipment has been added to all Waynesburg Franklin Township Fire Company apparatus, fire Chief Jeff Marshall said in the release.

“We started looking at this technology a few years ago. Then when South Strabane Fire Department had their truck struck on Interstate 70, we realized we needed this technology in our apparatus,” said Marshall.

A South Strabane Township ladder truck was struck last April 29 by a passenger vehicle traveling well over the 55 mph speed limit, causing significant damage to the truck. Firefighters had been dispatched to an accident involving an overturned camper and a pickup truck on Interstate 70 East just after a blind bend.

South Strabane fire Chief Jordan Cramer said at that time that the crew was unable to exit the vehicle because of the “atrocious driving behaviors of approaching traffic.”

Cramer said that more recently, a tanker truck was struck Jan. 1 while responding to an accident.

“We’ve had two serious incidents within the past several months,” said Cramer, noting the fire department has also installed HAAS Alert’s Safety Cloud In its fire apparatus.

The Safety Cloud collision prevention service enables the delivery of real-time alerts to Pennsylvania drivers when emergency services are active in the vicinity, according to the release.

Safety Cloud’s digital alerting works by sending real-time notifications to nearby drivers, warning them of the presence of emergency vehicles and road workers. The advanced warning system significantly reduces the chance of collisions by up to 90%, ensuring the safety of both first responders and motorists.

AAA also has rolled out the new technology in some areas for its members and tow operators who are in an unsafe location such as the side of a highway or blocking traffic.

“Too often, the lives of our members stranded at roadside and our heroic tow technicians who come to their rescue are put in unnecessary danger by inattentive and risky drivers,” said Nannalee Haywood, AAA Vice President of Automotive Services. “By automatically alerting nearby drivers to the location of an emergency roadside assistance call in real time, we can reduce the likelihood that drivers are caught off-guard when approaching a tow truck on the side of the road.”

While Pennsylvania’s Move Over laws require drivers to slow down and move one lane over when approaching active emergency vehicles, many drivers still react slowly or fail to comply, the fire department said. Safety Cloud alerts give drivers up to 30 seconds of advance warning to help solve that problem.

According to AAA, 123 roadside assistance providers – including tow truck drivers, mobile mechanics, emergency roadside technicians and safety service patrols – were struck and killed between 2015 and 2021, nearly four times more than reported in national crash data.

Among the findings: 89% of those fatalities occurred at locations with speed limits of 55 miles per hour or higher, almost all of which were on interstates or other limited-access highways. And 84% of those occurred in areas with no indication of precipitation or slippery road conditions, and 63% happened during darkness.

South Strabane Assistant Chief Paul Winter said in a video that emergency personnel take precautions, including wearing reflective safety vests, operating with scene lighting to light up the accident area, and using vehicle emergency lights, but that’s not enough.

“We’ve had many instances of near misses, and we’ve had the unfortunate event of being struck while operating on the highway,” he said.

On Jan. 5, 2020, 43-year-old Matthew Smelser, paramedic supervisor and instructor for Rostraver/West Newton EMS and a father of two, was killed while treating a patient on I-70 in Westmoreland County when a commercial vehicle struck him. The patient had been injured in a crash at around 5:30 a.m., about a mile from the Smithton exit.

In November 2008, South Strabane police Officer Nathan Burnfield was struck and killed while driving back from SWAT training at California University of Pennsylvania on I-70 westbound near Bentleyville, when he stopped to clear a tire from the highway. The truck driver of the tri-axle truck also was killed.

Drivers can receive the alerts through the Waze navigation app and Apple Maps, available on mobile devices and in the dashboard of many newer-model vehicles.

Safety Cloud alerts are also now delivered to the infotainment screen of millions of vehicles through a partnership with global automaker Stellantis.

Drivers of 2018 and newer models of Jeep, Ram, Chrysler, Dodge and Alfa Romeo vehicles will receive Safety Cloud alerts through the new EVAS (Emergency Vehicle Alert System) feature.

Vehicles using FordSync, Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto will also have the service.

HAAS Alert is continuing to work on expanding the alerts to other services and vehicles so that all drivers can receive critical road safety alerts.

Safety Cloud alerted an estimated 72.8 million drivers in 2023. Studies have found driver advanced warning systems, like digital alerting, reduce the likelihood of a collision by up to 90% and reduce hard braking near roadway incidents by 80%.

“It’s truly been a big deal for us in emergency services, but we need other car manufacturers to start using them in their vehicles. It’s not in Google yet, but we’re hoping that happens soon,” said Cramer.

The cost of Safety Cloud for Waynesburg Franklin Township was offset through a donation from Fox Ford of Waynesburg.

“Adopting Safety Cloud adds a layer of protection for our firefighters,” said Waynesburg Franklin’s Marshall. “By providing drivers with additional time to respond appropriately, this service establishes a safer environment for both our crew and surrounding motorists. We strongly recommend drivers to utilize Waze and Apple Maps, both free-to-use apps, to benefit from these vital road safety alerts.”