Siheung City Introduces "Metropolitan Emergency Vehicle Priority Signal System"... Expected to Secure Golden Time

Siheung City in Gyeonggi Province will introduce a "Metropolitan Emergency Vehicle Priority Signal System" designed to help emergency vehicles, such as fire trucks and ambulances, pass through intersections without stopping during emergencies like fires, rescues, and disasters.

Panoramic view of Siheung City Hall. Provided by Siheung City

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This system is a smart traffic technology that automatically controls traffic signals based on the location information of emergency vehicles as they approach intersections, ensuring their swift passage. Its core purpose is to prioritize the movement of emergency vehicles above all else.

When an emergency occurs, the fire headquarters and the Gyeonggi-do Traffic Information Center, which receive the emergency call, analyze traffic signal data and the real-time location of emergency vehicles, sharing this information with relevant agencies in each city and county. Upon receiving this data, the city provides priority signal information and calculates the optimal route to guide emergency vehicles to their final destination.

The city expects that the introduction of this system will reduce the average dispatch time for emergency vehicles by more than 50% compared to the current level, making a significant contribution to securing the "golden time" in the event of fires or medical emergencies. Additionally, it is anticipated to reduce the risk of secondary accidents caused by traffic congestion and enhance overall public safety.

Notably, because the system operates on a metropolitan scale and enables interconnection between neighboring local governments, it allows for continuous movement of emergency vehicles during long-distance dispatches without signal interruptions. This overcomes the limitations of the previous city-specific signal control approach, resolving the issue of signal interruption at city or county borders, and is expected to establish a more efficient emergency response system.

The project will be implemented from April to August, and the city is currently carrying out the necessary administrative procedures to provide the service. The system is scheduled to launch in September, with initial deployment at 400 high-traffic intersections and priority routes, followed by gradual expansion. In addition, the city plans to establish a stable operating system through cooperation with relevant agencies such as the police and fire departments.

Park Youngdeok, Director of the Safety and Transportation Bureau, stated, "With the establishment of the metropolitan emergency vehicle priority system, we will be able to secure the golden time for large-scale fires and other emergencies through rapid, unrestricted movement. We are committed to doing our utmost to protect the lives and property of citizens by building this priority signal system for emergency vehicles on a metropolitan scale."

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