Carlow has become the first county in Ireland to implement a new emergency alert technology aimed at keeping motorists safe on the road while the fire service respond to an emergency or an accident.

The county’s Fire and Rescue Service has taken road safety to a new level by installing digital alerting in eight of its emergency service vehicles.

Safety Cloud digital alerting warns other road users of the presence of a fire appliance responding to an emergency or when road users are approaching an accident scene.

This provides emergency vehicles with a safer and quicker passage to emergencies and gives other road users time to slow down, move over or avoid the scene completely by taking an alternative route.

The alert system is compatible with the Apple Maps, the Waze app and in-built software across a number of vehicle brands and appears in the form of a text and symbol notification.

"Drivers can be easily distracted, and this new software will give them advance notice of their proximity to an emergency vehicle or scene,” explained Ben Woodhouse, Acting Chief Fire Officer of Carlow County Fire and Rescue Service.

“Our emergency drivers are highly trained in line with the RSA’s Emergency Service Driving Standard and use traditional alerting methods - such as blue lights and sirens - alongside this new technology.

“This means drivers will have a longer response time to react and adjust to any changes to their commute or new road hazards.

“The aim is that this technology will result in a safer community by protecting emergency vehicle drivers and ordinary road users alike.”

This article was originally published by Aisling Bolton-Dowling of the Irish Independent.