PLAINFIELD TOWNSHIP, Mich. — Red lights won't be slowing down Plainfield Township's fire crews racing to emergency calls.
A new traffic signal preemption system launched along the Plainfield Avenue corridor automatically cycles lights to green as fire apparatus approach, creating safer intersections while shaving precious seconds off response times. The technology represents a quiet revolution in emergency response - one that most drivers will never notice until they're sitting at a red light that suddenly changes to help a fire truck pass through.
"It's all about innovation," says Plainfield Township Fire Chief Kyle Svoboda, whose department has installed the GPS-based Opticom system on their apparatus. "We talk about responding to emergencies down roads - it comes with inherent danger. It's not necessarily a danger just to our members. It's also a danger to the community as well."
The system works invisibly, constantly receiving GPS signals to track each fire unit's location, heading and speed. When crews flip on their emergency lights, the technology awakens and begins hunting for traffic signals ahead. At 3,000 to 5,000 feet from an intersection - depending on road speed - it sends a radio signal to trigger the light cycle.
"It doesn't automatically give you a green light," explains Equipment Operator Riley Nienhuis, who installed the systems on the department's fleet. "If you have a red light that you're coming up to and the other way has green, it will give them a yellow light first, then it will go to red, and then we will get the green light."
Traffic signals on Plainfield between 4 Mile and 5 Mile roads now respond to the township's apparatus, called Opticom. The busy corridor sees heavy traffic that can trap emergency vehicles at intersections, creating dangerous situations, including drivers who cannot hear sirens inside increasingly soundproof vehicles and wearing noise-canceling headphones.
"Plainfield Township has had a couple accidents with our larger apparatus and even our smaller apparatus while responding to emergencies," Svoboda notes. "Intersections are a serious problem."
The system became a priority as part of the larger Plainfield Avenue corridor improvement project, funded through a Community Development Block Grant rather than the fire department's budget. Township officials saw an opportunity to weave emergency response improvements into their road reconstruction plans, creating what Svoboda calls a "double benefit" of safer travel for everyone and faster response times for emergencies.
Nienhuis took on the installation work in-house, drawing on his background in vehicle upfitting to save taxpayer money while ensuring the department could maintain and troubleshoot the system internally.
"Having a member like Equipment Operator Riley Nienhuis come in and install devices in our trucks saved taxpayers money because we're not spending $150 an hour to have somebody come in and do the wiring," Svoboda explains. "When something fails, we have somebody in house. We don't have to wait for someone to come in and fix it."
The technology promises to address growing challenges for emergency responders navigating modern traffic. The chief points to drivers who follow fire trucks closely, thinking they'll reach their destinations faster - a dangerous practice that can lead to sudden stops and course corrections. Others panic and stop in the middle of intersections or continue creeping forward instead of pulling completely to the right.
"We're simply asking for the right of way in the state of Michigan," Svoboda says. "Pull over to the side of the road, to the right, come to a complete stop. Let us pass through."
The system integrates with neighboring communities that have compatible technology, allowing Plainfield apparatus to trigger lights in Grand Rapids, among others. Future expansion throughout the township will depend on needs assessments identifying problematic intersections, and funding.
Meanwhile, the technology continues evolving. The Haas system can integrate with navigation apps like Waze and Apple maps, which eventually could alert drivers through their phones when emergency vehicles approach.
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