Explanation
BACKGROUND: This ordinance authorizes the Director of Public Safety to enter into a contract with HAAS Alert, Inc. (HAAS, INC.) for the Division of Fire's HAAS Alert Safety Cloud subscription service from March 1, 2026 through February 28, 2027. This transportation alert system service is utilized by the Division of Fire to alert drivers in real-time of current public safety incidents along their routes that may preempt a traffic signal to transfer right-of-way to the direction of an approaching emergency vehicle. COTA (Central Ohio Transit Authority) currently funds this HAAS Alert, Inc. (HAAS, Inc.) service which is provided to and used by the Division of Fire. However, COTA’s contract with HAAS Alert, Inc. (HAAS, Inc.) is ending. The Division of Fire’s emergency vehicles come equipped with HAAS Alert, Inc’s. (HAAS, Inc.) devices that track data such as location which is pushed out to drivers in real-time via the HAAS Alert Safety Cloud service.
The Division of Fire’s Assistant Chief Baugh is a member of the executive committee for Vision Zero. Vision Zero advances the objective of prioritizing safety for all who walk, bike, or drive along Columbus streets by changing public policies, procedures, or our practices for how we deliver roadway projects of govern - ranging from how the city designs projects to integrating technology into our transportation system. The Columbus Division of Fire has implemented the HAAS system to improve safety for emergency responders and the public through enhanced technology. The HAAS alert Collision Prevention system for emergency responders allows first responders to send signals to smart devices and connected vehicles, alerting them of an emergency vehicle approaching. The HAAS system has alerted over 2 million devices and vehicles since 2021 and nearly 600,000 devices and vehicles in 2025. HAAS also alerts responder-to-responder (R2R), preventing fire apparatus crashes. Since 2020, over 600 R2R notifications ...
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