The City of Bolivar Fire Department is adding a new safety tool to its vehicles. The HAAS Safety Cloud digital alert system will give drivers a heads-up when they’re approaching stopped emergency vehicles on the side of the road.

The system is a small black box that is installed on the dashboard of fire department vehicles. When the vehicle turns on its emergency lights, the system sends an alert to drivers through the Waze navigation app and Apple Maps. Some newer vehicles have Waze navigation integrated into the dashboard, so notifications will pop up there.

Bolivar Fire Chief Brent Watkins says the goal of the new safety feature is to protect first responders while they address emergencies.

“We’re here to keep people safe, including our staff,” Chief Watkins said. “We want people to think and plan ahead. See that emergency vehicle? Slow down. Give everybody some space as we’re out taking care of somebody else.”

Chief Watkins says the new safety measure is especially useful for drivers on the highway.

“It just gives a little bit more warning, a little bit of notification, especially with high speeds on the highway, so people know we’re up there and working,” Watkins said.

According to a press release from the City of Bolivar, the Safety Cloud digital alerts reduce collision risks by up to 90% and boosts driver compliance with “Move Over” laws.

“Move Over” laws require drivers to slow down and switch lanes when approaching stopped emergency vehicles. However, not all drivers comply with this law.

In some cases, the driver doesn’t have enough time to switch lanes after seeing the emergency vehicle. Other times, they’re not able to squeeze in when there is high traffic.

Safety Cloud can address this issue by providing drivers with an earlier warning than simply seeing the vehicles. This is especially helpful in areas where hills block drivers’ views of the road ahead.

The Greene County Sheriff’s office uses a similar tool to alert drivers of stopped emergency vehicles.

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This article was originally published by Madelyn Stamper at KY3