Title
Assistance to Firefighters Grant FY2006 Application for Traffic Preemption Funding (NB)
This item requests that the Commission authorize the City Manager to execute a grant award for the FY2006 Assistance to Firefighters Grant for Traffic Signal Preemption devices.
Explanation
In April 2006, Gainesville Fire Rescue submitted an application for Federal funds under the Assistance to Firefighters Grant for FY2006. On February 16, 2007, the Department of Homeland Security's Emergency Preparedness and Response Directorate's Grants Office contacted Gainesville Fire Rescue indicating that the grant application has received favorable peer reviews and requesting additional information for further review. This is not a guarantee of award, but does indicate that the application has moved to the next review level.
The application seeks funding for 28 Traffic Signal Preemption devices and installation, at a cost of $9,620 each, for Priority 1 intersections city-wide. Traffic Signal Preemption, which allows emergency units equipped with an emitting device to control the signal at equipped intersections, has proven to be an effective tool for improving response times for both fire rescue and ambulance services for the City of Gainesville and Alachua County. Traffic Preemption devices utilize a common frequency that also allows equipped emergency units from surrounding areas to activate intersections locally. An additional element of safety to the public is provided when traffic signals are used to control the traffic flow uniformly while emergency units are approaching intersections.
Fire Rescue staff worked closely with City Traffic Engineering staff in identifying those intersections in need of upgrades. At the time of the application, 75 intersections had been identified city-wide as Priority 1 intersections; 47 of these intersections have had 3M Opticom Traffic Signal Preemption devices installed. This application seeks to obtain funding for th...
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