Kincardine Council approved $70,000 for the local fire department to get emergency vehicle pre-emption equipment for their trucks.
The equipment consists of a transponder for the truck, and receivers for the street lights along Highway 21, which Fire Chief Brad Lemaich says, “The truck, as it approaches the [traffic] light, sends a signal, and in effect what it does is allow the truck to have a green light through the intersection.”
This would allow emergency vehicles the right of way, and also give a red light to other traffic.
“An emergency vehicle in the province of Ontario — be it police, ambulance, or a fire truck — while responding with lights and emergency beacons active, if they approach a stop sign or a red light, they are obligated by law to stop and to only proceed through an intersection when it is clear to do so.”
This means that while an emergency vehicle is responding to a call, it can cost time as well as stress to the fire crew.
Lemaich says that it’s dangerous because emergency crews don’t have a guarantee that other vehicles will yield the right-of-way to emergency vehicles through the intersection, whereas the new system would allow fire trucks to proceed through intersections on the way to a call.
The equipment is approved for the two existing signalled intersections on Highway 21 and the two new signaled intersections to be constructed in 2023.
