Anderson County has been awarded a second Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation. The $529,600 grant follows a $200,000 grant awarded in 2023 to develop a Safety Action Plan. The Safety Action Plan identified the need to support first responders in performing their duties in a safe and timely manner.
While in route to an emergency call or transporting a patient, EMS personnel, volunteer and career firefighters, and sheriff’s deputies are protected only by their lights and sirens. First responders report close calls on a weekly basis. Similarly, for crash victims in transport to a hospital or trauma center, every minute counts in the “golden hour” from the time of trauma to the time of treatment.
To support the Safety Action Plan, the $529,600 award will be used by Anderson County to pilot emergency vehicle preemption (EVP) systems and evaluate before-and-after crash and operational outcomes. EVP interrupts the normal operations at a traffic signal to provide a green signal for approaching emergency vehicles to provide a clear path without conflicts, so emergency vehicles are not having to run a ‘red’ light. EVP systems consist of equipment that resides on emergency response vehicles that typically activate when lights and sirens are in use.
Anderson County is one of only nine announced grant recipients in South Carolina.
Anderson County Council Chair Tommy Dunn said, “This is the kind of program that will save lives, no doubt about it. Based on my years in the volunteer fire service, I can tell you that every second truly counts, and these EVP systems will allow our first responders to offer help more quickly and in a safer manner.”
Council District Three Councilman Greg Elgin said, “As Chair of the council’s Public Safety Committee and a Volunteer Fire Chief, I am thankful for the opportunity to bring EVP systems into our community. These systems will help protect first responders, their patients, and motorists. This program will be of great benefit to our whole community.”
