The Franklin Fire Department is stepping up its game in emergency response by introducing a nifty piece of tech that could be a real game-changer for both fire personnel and everyday drivers. Equipping their trucks with a digital alerting system dubbed Safety Cloud®, firefighters aim to slash their response times and amp up safety on the roads. "Even at 10 miles an hour a car going by, you can feel that. The more space you can create for us, the safer it is for responders and us personally," Fire Analyst Daniel Donegan stated in an announcement obtained by NewsChannel5.

Here's how it shakes down: when an emergency vehicle is on the hustle, Safety Cloud® kicks in, firing off a notification to drivers within a roughly 30-second range. This heads-up is intended to nudge drivers to slow their roll or pull over to clear a path for the emergency vehicle. "We see it every day with vehicles across the country and across the state where they are striking the back of these vehicles, so hopefully this earlier warning will help give other motorists the time to move over," Donegan explained in a statement featured on Haas Alert's news page.

Despite a 2017 incident where a Franklin fire truck was slammed while attending to a crash on I-65, and near-misses that are now routine, the fire department is hopeful that Safety Cloud® will make a difference. With nearly 600 calls about motor vehicle crashes in 2023 alone, the need for such a system seems evident. "We are oftentimes working in the roadway. If not, our vehicles are at least stopped in the roadway. So moving over gives us room and space to do our jobs and hopefully does not create another incident on that scene," Donegan stressed in a story by Haas Alert.

The road today is thick with distractions, with folks engrossed in their devices, causing many to be oblivious to the blaring sirens and flashing lights of oncoming emergency vehicles. "Everyone is just so busy. Everyone is on their devices and they’re just not always paying attention to their surroundings. They are paying attention to what’s in front of them and where they are going, so this gives them the ability to, hopefully, give them that extra alert to keep themselves and our responders safe," Donegan elaborated during an interview with WKRN.

This new tech could mean the difference between life and death, trimming down response times, which currently clock in at just over five minutes. With Safety Cloud®, firefighters aren't just alerting drivers; they're carving out precious seconds that could save lives. "Our average response time is just over five minutes here in the City of Franklin. If we can reduce that time, it helps save lives in the back end. So by this software allowing the motorist to have a heads up, hopefully, we’re not having to slow down as much to have to get close to the motorists to have them move over for us," Donegan advised Haas Alert. According to the fire department, the system has been active in select trucks since last week and is already proving its mettle, with drivers starting to slow and swerve sooner in response.