Reducing Response Times in Rapidly Growing Florida County: How New Technology is Helping First Responders

In recent years, Manatee County, Florida, has experienced rapid growth and an increase in traffic on its roads. As a result, the county’s dispatch center has seen a significant rise in call volume. Between FY 2020 and FY 2023, call volume increased by over 70 percent.

To address this issue, Manatee County officials have launched a pilot program in one of the high-call-volume areas. The program involves equipping twenty-four traffic signals and ten EMS vehicles with new technology to aid first responders in reaching calls more quickly. By activating lights at intersections to facilitate traffic flow in the direction needed for ambulances, the technology saves approximately 11 seconds per intersection, reducing response time and allowing emergency responders to reach callers more efficiently.

The pilot program focuses on the main corridors leading to Manatee Memorial Hospital. If successful, Jodie Fiske, Director of Public Safety for Manatee County, envisions expanding it countywide to improve emergency response times further. She emphasizes the challenges faced by emergency vehicles in urban corridors due to heavy traffic hindering their movement.

We interviewed Dr. H.B. White, a board-certified ER physician at Manatee Memorial Hospital, who highlighted the importance of reducing response times in critical situations like heart attacks and strokes where every second counts. Following a six-month evaluation of data from the pilot program’s effectiveness in improving emergency response times, county officials will decide whether to expand the initiative further.

In conclusion, rapid growth has led to increased traffic and higher call volumes in Manatee County’s dispatch center. To address this issue effectively, officials have implemented a pilot program that utilizes new technology to reduce response times for first responders’ ambulances while navigating through congested areas quickly.

If successful, this pilot program could pave the way for a countywide expansion that would enhance emergency response times further. The potential impact of such an expansion could save lives by allowing first responders to reach callers faster during critical situations like heart attacks or strokes when every second counts.