Va. city rolls out green-light technology for fire trucks, not ambulances

August 9, 2026 - 22:34

A city in Virginia has switched on a new traffic signal priority system for its fire trucks, but the decision to leave ambulances out of the program is drawing sharp criticism from emergency medical services leaders.

The technology, now active on several main corridors, allows approaching fire engines and ladder trucks to trigger a green light or extend a green phase as they roll through intersections. The goal is to shave precious minutes off response times while reducing the chance of a collision at busy crossings, where fire apparatus often have to slow down or stop to clear traffic.

But EMS officials say the same system could be used for ambulances, which frequently carry patients in critical condition. They argue that every second counts during a medical emergency, especially in cases like cardiac arrest or severe trauma. Without the signal priority, ambulances still must rely on lights and sirens and hope that drivers yield, which is not always reliable.

The city's decision appears to be based on the heavier weight and longer stopping distance of fire trucks, which make intersection navigation more dangerous. Fire officials also note that their vehicles respond to a wider range of calls, including medical assists, so the system indirectly benefits patient transport.

However, paramedics counter that a patient already inside an ambulance is in a more fragile state than one waiting for firefighters to arrive. They point to data from other cities where signal priority for ambulances reduced travel times by up to 20 percent and cut side-impact crashes.

The city has not ruled out expanding the system to ambulances later, but for now, the green light only applies to the fire fleet. That leaves a gap in the city's emergency response that some say is hard to justify.