PETERSBURG, Va. — First responders face many dangers when they're on the job, and those dangers are often exacerbated by drivers who aren't paying attention.
Now, fire departments and tow truck companies are using new technology to alert drivers to slow down and move over when emergency vehicles are on the side of the road.
Christy Palmer Archileti has spent 34 years getting behind the wheel of a tow truck, and she says the job has become more dangerous in recent years.
In fact, Archileti has had several close calls, including one in 2017 when wood from an overhead train bridge fell during a storm.
"We've had several close calls, several close calls," she said.
Tow truck drivers and other first responders face their biggest challenge on the interstate, where drivers often don't slow down or move over when they see flashing lights.
"There are times that I'm on this line hooking up a car and they are right beside me," Archileti said.
Virginia has a Move Over law, but Battalion Chief A.G. Ross of the Petersburg Fire Department said not everyone is following it.
"Not everyone is moving over. Not everyone is slowing down, it's a big challenge for these guys being out there," Ross said.
Recently, Archileti learned about a small box that can be installed on tow trucks and emergency vehicles. The box sends a signal to drivers using navigation apps, alerting them to slow down and move over.
"When we activate that light, it should come up and tell them there's a tow truck ahead and they need to slow down and move over," Archileti said.
A fire department in central Virginia that runs calls on Interstate 95 was surprised by the results after installing the technology. In just one month, the system alerted thousands of drivers.
"There were 8,000 or 9,000 vehicles that were on a busy thoroughfare, that were notified that there was a piece of emergency apparatus on scene," Kevin Sandridge of Atlantic Emergency Solutions said.
The department has since mandated that all new emergency vehicles have the system installed.
"Anything helps but definitely anything that alerts all the drivers using these apps, that there's something going on ahead," Ross said.
For those who work on the side of the road, getting drivers to slow down and move over is crucial.
"Every single person on the side of the road deserves to have a chance to come home at night," Archileti said.
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