The Santa Barbara County Fire Department and City of Goleta are pleased to announce the recent installation and implementation of a new GPS-based traffic control system that will improve response times and increase public safety.  

The Opticom system transmits a signal from the approaching emergency vehicle to the traffic light, prioritizing the green light and allowing the emergency vehicle to continue through the intersection. Fourteen Santa Barbara County Fire Department fire engines and two trucks have been outfitted with the emitting technology. The system has been installed at 14 Goleta intersections.

Santa Barbara County Fire Chief Mark Hartwig said, “We are pleased to have technology in place that allows for faster and safer service to the community.”

Vyto Adomaitis, City of Goleta Neighborhood Services and Public Safety Director, said, “We are extremely proud to partner with Mr. Mark Linehan, owner of the Camino Real Marketplace, and the Santa Barbara County Fire Department, to bring this technology here to our community and as a result, provide a higher level of public safety services to our residents.”

Funding for the Opticom system was provided by Mark Linehan, owner of the Camino Real Marketplace.  Mr. Linehan has provided more than one million dollars over the years to public safety efforts in the City of Goleta.

Photos above are of the Opticom system installed in a Santa Barbara County Fire Department Engine and at a Goleta intersection.