Jonesboro, Ark. — The Jonesboro Fire Department has enhanced its efforts to improve roadside safety by utilizing the HAAS Alert Safety Cloud system. This technology provides drivers with real-time warnings when emergency vehicles are approaching, crews are working on a scene, or a work zone is ahead.
Vehicles manufactured in 2018 or later from brands like Dodge, Chrysler, Jeep, and Ram are already compatible with the system, which delivers alerts directly to their dashboards. For local agencies to utilize the system, transponders must be installed in emergency vehicles to send the necessary signals.
Fire Chief Marty Hamrick emphasized the importance of the system in protecting both first responders and drivers. “There’s many different ways it can alert you to help make us safer if we’re working on the side of the road, for some reason,” he said. “Or if we’re responding, it will help you know there’s an emergency vehicle coming, I need to get over out of the way, or whatever needs to happen there to make things safer.”
The HAAS Alert system was developed in 2015 after a motorcycle rider barely avoided a collision with an ambulance. Jonesboro first piloted the system in 2019, installing transponders on three emergency vehicles. After seeing positive results, the department expanded the technology across its entire fleet.
Hamrick called the system a “valuable piece of technology” and highlighted its life-saving potential. Drivers with compatible vehicles will notice their radios automatically lowering or muting during an alert, allowing them to better hear sirens. However, compatibility with newer models is not required, as similar alerts can appear on Apple Maps or Waze for users with the apps running on their mobile devices.
In addition to warning about emergency vehicles, the system can create a “safety event” for disabled vehicles on the road. If a car’s hazard lights are on and it has been stationary for at least 30 seconds, the HAAS Alert warns other drivers about the stopped vehicle.
Arkansas already enforces a move-over law requiring drivers to leave space for emergency personnel, but Hamrick stressed that additional measures like the HAAS Alert system help ensure safety. “There is never enough precaution when it comes to keeping people safe,” he said.
Drivers are encouraged to stay vigilant, keep navigation apps open if using them, and always adhere to traffic laws designed to protect emergency responders and others on the road.