Detroit Drivers Get Heads-Up When Police and Fire Respond

Detroit just stepped up its emergency safety game big time.

The city has rolled out HAAS Alert’s Safety Cloud technology across all fire, EMS, and police vehicles, making it the biggest city in the nation to do it.

How Detroit’s New Safety Cloud Alerts Work

Here’s the deal: whenever an emergency vehicle kicks on its lights and sirens, drivers nearby get an alert through their navigation apps. Yes, an alert will pop up warning the driver to be aware of emergency vehicles that are nearby. That early warning gives people extra time to move over and get the heck out of the way

According to The Metro Detroit News, the Detroit Fire Department was the first to test it out. Over a 10-month pilot, fire crews sent out more than 100,000 alerts while racing to emergencies. Now every truck, ambulance, and medical unit in the city is getting it, which means a lot more protection for the crews out there and for the rest of us driving around.

Detroit Police gave it a shot earlier this year with nine patrol cars in the 5th and 9th Precincts. Even with just that small test, more than 17,000 alerts went out. Now they’re planning to roll it out to every patrol car in the city.

City leaders say it’s all part of Detroit’s bigger plan to use new tech to cut down response times, prevent crashes, and keep people safe.

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Abandoned 1949 Mammoth Department Store in Detroit

Built in 1949, the Mammoth building started as the Federal Department Store, a vital part of the community. Over the years, different owners like Kingsway Department Stores and Mammoth Department Store shaped its history.

The doors officially closed in 2001 and it's been empty ever since.

Gallery Credit: Detroit Unseen