Henry County installs new traffic light technology aimed at saving lives

HENRY COUNTY, Ga. — Henry County is installing some new technology that’s aimed at saving lives and property.

The new technology was created with the intention of getting first responders to calls even faster.

Channel 2′s Tyisha Fernandes was in Stockbridge on Friday, where some of the equipment had already been installed.

No one wants to think about firefighters having to respond to their home or workplace but if you need the fire department, you want the firefighter to get through traffic as fast as possible.

“When it comes to emergencies, just a few seconds or minutes can make life and death difference,” Shamsul Baker the director of transportation planning for Henry County said.

He said seconds can save lives and property.

Henry County officials applied for and received a federal grant that allows them to partner up with the Georgia Department of Transportation to be part of the Connected Vehicle Pilot Program

The goal is to get emergency vehicles to their destinations faster by turning red traffic lights to green.

The technology needs two pieces of equipment. One is called a roadside unit, which is installed at the road intersection. The other piece of equipment is called an onboard unit which is installed inside or on top of a vehicle.

32 of the busiest intersections in the county already have the roadside units installed and 45 Henry County fire trucks already have onboard units installed.

Once the program launches, county officials will track its progress to see if it is really cutting time.