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Springfield, Ill., to Use Tech to Reduce Fire Response Times

Congestion and medians have increased fire trucks' response times in one part of Springfield, Ill., so high that they're about double the city's average. So the council has turned to technology to help solve the problem.

(TNS) — The Springfield, Ill., City Council voted unanimously Wednesday night to approve a $141,000 contract that would buy and install technology aimed at improving fire department response times on the west side.

It would put radio-based sensors at 16 intersections and on four fire vehicles at Fire Station No. 12 on Koke Mill Road and No. 9 near Chatham Road and Iles Avenue.

Because of traffic and the road's concrete medians, response time to fire calls south of Interstate 72 along the Veterans Parkway corridor is twice as long as the fire department's citywide average. The technology would help move traffic along by changing lights to green along an outfitted fire rig's route to an emergency.

The technology will take two to three months to install, according to Fire Chief Allen Reyne.

©2018 The State Journal-Register, Springfield, Ill.  Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.