Special Lights Could Soon Warn Motorists of an Oncoming Emergency Vehicle

Motorists may soon get some advance warning that an emergency vehicle is approaching.

is working with other Downriver police and fire chiefs to get E-Light Emergency Vehicle Alert System signals installed at three Wyandotte intersections.

Fort and Eureka would be first up for a light, along with Biddle and Eureka. In the second phase of the project, Grant said, the Fort and Northline (Ford) intersection would be suited up as well.

Grant said the devices have a great track record.

“These lights are currently installed in Dearborn Heights, Grosse Ile and Brownstown Township and have been very beneficial in alerting motorists of the approaching emergency vehicles,” Grant said in a letter to city officials. “They are automatically activated when emergency vehicles are within 2,000 feet of the intersection and their emergency lights/sirens are activated.”

Grant said the Downriver chiefs got together and analyzed the major intersections near the four hospitals that the majority of Downriver residents are taken to by an ambulance. After reviewing traffic counts and accident data for those intersections, the chiefs finalized a list of 31 intersections best suited for an emergency light.

It’s cost prohibitive to do them all at once, Grant said, so the list was whittled to a top 11. Those intersections will be targeted first. The roughly $150,000 cost will be paid for by federal grant dollars secured by the Downriver Community Conference. The project will get under way as soon as the city council or township board of each affected community gives the OK. Wyandotte officials approved it Monday night.

“As more federal grant funds become available, we are hoping to address the other intersections on the priority list,” Grant said.

Besides the Wyandotte intersections, the first phase also includes the following intersections:

• Allen Road and King Road
• Allen Road and Outer Drive
• Allen Road and Southfield Road
• Allen Road and West Road
• Ecorse Road and Merriman
• Eureka and Allen Road
• Eureka and Goddard
• Eureka and Telegraph
• Fort Street and Sibley Road
• Van Born and Merriman

While Fort and Eureka is included in the first 11, Grant said, Biddle and Eureka was not. However, the president and CEO of the company that created the product, E-Light LLC of Livonia, has agreed to donate that light to get it installed as soon as possible.

Tom Pappas, the CEO, was born at and said he’s happy to give something back to his former hometown.

“I was born and raised over there and I think Wyandotte is a great city,” Pappas said. “Danny Grant has given me a lot of help with this project. He knows about safety and squad cars and I appreciate his assistance. … I’m glad to be able to help out.”