Implementation of an Emergency System without Local Government Borders, Seoul Economic Daily, In case of emergencies such as emergency patient transfers, it has been shown that the effect of the Metropolitan Emergency Vehicle Priority Signal System is excellent, with transportation time being shortened by more than half.
Recently, Yongin City announced that it has reduced transportation time by 55% by measuring the effects of the newly established ‘Metropolitan Emergency Vehicle Priority Signal System.’
The Metropolitan Emergency Vehicle Priority Signal System refers to an advanced signal system that enables emergency vehicles crossing city or county borders to receive priority signals instead of traffic lights, allowing them to quickly move to their destination in cases of large fires or emergencies.
This project is considered one of the most important areas in the ‘2023 Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) Construction Project’ selected by the city from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport’s public offering.
Yongin City has established the Metropolitan Emergency Vehicle Priority Signal System, reflecting the demand of the local fire department to extend the emergency vehicle priority signal system beyond the local area to neighboring regions, creating an emergency system that is not constrained by local government borders.
On July 30th, during a demonstration event with Suwon City, police, and firefighters, a setup was created for transporting patients from Yongin Kangnam Hospital to Ajou University Hospital Emergency Medical Center in Suwon, which is 6.6 km away.
The actual travel time for each section was measured, confirming that before the implementation of the priority signal system, it took 16 minutes and 13 seconds, but after the system was applied, it was reduced by 55% to 7 minutes and 20 seconds.
Yongin City plans to apply the system starting in October once the standard specifications for the Metropolitan Emergency Vehicle Priority Signal System are confirmed in September, after analyzing the results of the test operation on that day to further enhance the system’s effectiveness.
At the same time, it will replace the existing 400 offline signal controllers with online signals, improve the signal system for commuting times through consultations with the police station, and prepare to ensure smooth operation of the ‘Metropolitan Emergency Vehicle Priority Signal System.’
Deputy Mayor Hwang Jun-gi stated, “With the establishment of the Metropolitan Emergency Vehicle Priority Signal System, emergency vehicles crossing local government boundaries during large fires and disasters will be able to secure golden time,” adding, “It is of great significance that they can quickly transport critically ill patients to nearby large hospitals with emergency medical centers based on each region, thus protecting valuable lives.”