Williamson Fire Rescue says HAAS system will send emergency-vehicle locations to mapping apps to alert drivers

Williamson Fire Rescue announced it has installed HAAS, a system that transmits the location and direction of travel of emergency vehicles to supported navigation platforms to help alert nearby drivers. An agency official with Williamson Fire Rescue said the move is intended to address the reduced effectiveness of sirens as newer vehicles become more soundproof.

The announcement said the technology "activates when we turn on our emergency lights and sends a signal to a various navigation platforms, providing our location and direction of travel." The agency described the installation as a partnership with the Tennessee Highway Safety Office.

Officials listed platforms and vehicle integrations they said are currently supported: Waze and Apple Maps were named as primary users. The speaker also named vehicle mapping systems from manufacturers including Jeep, Dodge, Ram and Volkswagen. The announcement said Google Maps handles the same input differently, placing a hazard marker after crews arrive on scene rather than using a real-time travel-direction alert.

The agency official explained that members of the public can use the system at no cost: "You just have to use one of these supporting navigational platforms while you drive. Having the map on your device or screen will provide you with all the alerts with no setup." Officials framed the change as a supplement to existing audible warnings, not a replacement.

The statement closed with a safety reminder: "Driving safe is a teamwork sport. It takes your alertness and attention, and our professional training, to make responses to someone else's emergency as fast and as safe as possible." The agency did not specify an exact rollout date beyond saying the technology has been installed on its apparatus or provide details about any funding sources.