traffic light controls in ur cities

[tunnelrat83]

Does your city/county etc have it set up so that your units control the stop lights when your responding? just curious...

[Acosell]

I've seen radio/remote controlled lights that are very close to bases, usually the first light in the most used direction, but other then that, it's a giant crazy intersection free for all.

[Alcomedicism]

I think that I read somewhere some of the traffic controls are controlled by switching the siren on. I could be wrong though. They are at every major intersection in Russellville, AR that I've noticed. Im curious as to how some these work.

-Dixie

[tunnelrat83]

some places have Light controled ones.. some are siren.. some are transponder controlled...

[akroeze]

Well around here we use something called the Opticon (sp??) system on the fire trucks only. The trucks have a special strobe light on them that strobes at a set rate. There are sensors at the lights that pick that up and switch it to green for ya. Not on Ambulances or Police cruisers though.

[NNJEMT]

We use the Opticom system in town for the only two lights we have that are right near our building. (We have a large coverage area ~80 square miles, but other than on the highway that runs through the township, there are virtually no traffic lights)... we are trying to get the system installed out on the local highway (4 lanes divided) to make it easier to cross over at the two main intersections we use when heading south to our primary hospital. Our ALS responders also use this as the same highway further south has 3 lanes both ways and is busier than up in my town. It's also installed on most of the firetrucks in our town and the surrounding towns.

[akeith106]

Nothing like that here.... It would be WAY too expensive to retrofit....

[Richard B the EMT]

The reason that only the Engine and Ladder companies get the Opticon systems is, most likely, because they are way heavier vehicles than a cop car, or an ambulance, therefore, they're harder to stop when at any real speed above 5 MPH.

In NYC, a lot of Emergency Vehicle Bases (Firehouses and VAC) have a traffic light that's controlled by the house watch crew-person, changing to red for the traffic crossing in front of the house to allow a fast egress, or backing back into the house. Such was just installed at my "house".

[emtmoira]

We just got opticoms on our ambulance and we only have a few lights around our area that have the system in place.

[Richard B the EMT]

There is a type system that can hear an approaching siren, determine the direction of approach, and turn that direction green for the emergency vehicle, but I forget the name of it.

Opticon is one type system that uses a special strobe light to activate, but, as before, I don't recall any of the competitors names. Likewise systems that use activation devices similar to garage door remote control openers.

The only drawback of any of these systems used on the avenue, is, if 2 Emergency vehicles are approaching from different directions, whichever the system "gets" first will get the priority of the green light.

I would suggest, with these systems, or without, that everyone operate their Emergency vehicle following New York State Vehicle and Traffic Law #1102, paraphrased here: Operate your vehicle with due regard for others on the road.