WALLINGFORD, CT — The Wallingford Fire Department announced Thursday that it has a new way to warn drivers that a vehicle is responding to an emergency, and they need to slow down and move over, according to officials.

The fire department is now equipped with Safety Cloud by HAAS Alert, according to a post on the Wallingford Fire Department’s Facebook page.

Wallingford Public Works is installing a device in our responding vehicles to alert motorists when an emergency vehicle's lights and sirens are activated. Safety Cloud automatically sends digital alerts to nearby drivers, and alerts appear directly in-dash systems in brands including Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram, and Volkswagen vehicles, as well as through Waze and Apple Maps mobile applications.

This advance warning, in addition to traditional lights and sirens, has been proven to protect responders and roadside workers and reduce the likelihood of secondary collisions near roadside incidents by up to 90%. These alerts help facilitate adherence to Connecticut Move Over laws and can significantly reduce collision risks.

We want all our residents to stay safe on the roadways, as well as all of our members operating at emergency scenes.