Miovision, Harris County, TX, Emergency Service Districts to Upgrade 437 Intersections

Miovision established a 12-year partnership with seven Northwest Harris County ESDs (Emergency Service Districts) to use Miovision Opticom to assist firefighters and paramedics in responding to situations more quickly. When an emergency vehicle approaches, the industry-leading smart traffic signal system automatically changes the lights green to allow them to pass. The ESDs in Northwest Harris County are replacing outdated and malfunctioning traffic systems at 437 junctions with new technology that adds real-time protections for cyclists and pedestrians and clears the way for first responders.

Although Harris County implemented an emergency vehicle preemption system for the first time in 2007, water caused damage to about 25 percent of the county's intersections when Hurricane Harvey hit southeastern Texas in August 2017. The current technology was over ten years old, did not provide central monitoring and required organizations with limited resources to handle all upkeep. The ESDs realized that a more intelligent and dependable system was needed to keep communities safe and emergency responders connected. The first step was selecting Miovision's Opticom, and this 12-year extension strengthens that dedication.

"When we saw Miovision’s Opticom system, it was a no-brainer. The fact that we don't need resources committed to supporting the day-to-day operation of the system is a godsend because in public safety, you never have enough money and you never have enough people," said Mike Pate, project manager, Harris County ESD No. 16. "With the new system, we'll know within minutes after they finish their work whether the intersection is back up or not. The visibility of the system's effectiveness was an instant sell with the chiefs."

By utilizing technologies already present in emergency vehicles, the new approach reduces costs for each vehicle and junction by doing away with the need for additional expensive equipment. Pre-arrival information about an event at the intersection will be gathered via cameras. First responders always have a clear road since the technology notifies authorities within minutes if a signal ever goes down.

"Northwest Harris County exemplifies the forward-thinking approach that will define public safety infrastructure for the next generation," said Kurtis McBride, CEO of Miovision. "Moving to a hardware-free, cloud-based system gives these agencies the operational confidence, cost predictability, and data-driven tools they need to protect their communities long into the future. This is exactly the kind of partnership Miovision was built to deliver."

The Northwest Harris County ESDs establish a new benchmark for public safety infrastructure in one of the biggest counties in the United States by connecting its complete preemption network via a single cloud-based platform. The collaboration provides the ESDs with the resources, information and long-term stability they need to safeguard their communities for many years to come.

To learn more about Miovision Opticom: https://miovision.com/opticom/