The City of Sedalia is making a long-term commitment to public safety with a $235,558.65 investment over the next 10 years in the Opticom Emergency Vehicle Preemption (EVP) system for the Sedalia Fire and Police Departments. This investment highlights the city’s dedication to enhancing emergency response times, reducing accidents, and making the community a safer place to live.
The Opticom system is an advanced traffic signal preemption technology that allows emergency vehicles to communicate with traffic signals, granting them the right-of-way at intersections. This ensures that first responders — including firefighters, police officers, and paramedics — can reach emergencies faster and with fewer traffic-related risks.
Benefits to the Community
- Faster Emergency Response: By prioritizing emergency vehicles at intersections, firefighters and police officers will arrive at emergencies more quickly, improving life saving outcomes and emergency resolution times.
- Increased Safety for Drivers & Pedestrians: The system reduces the risk of collisions at busy intersections by safely clearing the path for emergency vehicles, including patrol cars and fire apparatus.
- Better Traffic Flow: The Opticom system helps maintain smoother traffic movement by minimizing sudden stops and disruptions caused by emergency vehicles.
Communities that have implemented Opticom technology have seen significant improvements in emergency response times. In Kyle, Texas, for example, the deployment of Opticom EVP resulted in a 25% reduction in emergency vehicle delays and a 70% decrease in the risk of intersection collisions.
The Sedalia Fire and Police Departments will work with local traffic management teams to begin integrating the Opticom system into the city’s infrastructure soon.
Fire Chief Matt Irwin stated, “The Opticom system is a game-changer for emergency response in Sedalia. By cutting down response times and making intersections safer, we are taking a major step toward protecting our community and our first responders.” This investment reflects Sedalia’s commitment to leveraging technology for a safer, more efficient city. The city will continue exploring innovations to enhance public safety and improve residents’ quality of life.
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