Navigation app provides first responders with best routes

The Department of Homeland Security’s Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) has partnered with Azimuth1 to develop a navigation app called QuickRoute, specially designed for first responders.

The app warns users about hazards along the route and takes into account factors like traffic accidents, weather events, or the size and weight of their vehicles that can delay response time.

“If you have firefighters who have been called to an emergency, and they’re driving, say, a hook and ladder truck — perhaps they can’t traverse a narrow lane,” S&T program manager Kimberli Jones-Holt said. “QuickRoute will provide an alternate route to be able to get them to that emergency much more quickly than a traditional commercial application would.”

The app considers the type of vehicle being driven, specs such as turn radius or bridge and tunnel clearance and agency roadway protocols. It also takes into consideration local jurisdiction rules, traffic and transit schedules, and weather patterns to give first responders the quickest and safest route to the scene.

The app was tested in April and was evaluated on how it worked in several response scenarios, such as medical emergencies and roadway challenges placed along the routes.

QuickRoute and a desktop version will be available for purchase in 2020.