A firefighter guides a fire truck in Seattle. Photo courtesy of Seattle Fire Department Blog stats: 1,300 words | 7-minute read
Summary:
- Seattle is launching a first-of-its-kind pilot program to ensure digitally connected and autonomous vehicles stay clear of active emergency response zones.
- Using data from Seattle’s 911 system, the technology shares near real-time emergency zone information with connected and autonomous vehicles, mapping companies, and more, so they can safely adjust their routes.
- This innovative program aims to prevent conflicts and enhance safety, so first responders can do critical work without delays.
- The pilot program is known as the Digital Conflict Awareness Management Program, or ‘dCAAMP,’ and is scheduled to activate later this year.
- This technology helps Seattle be prepared to manage traffic and respond to incidents as major events and large construction projects take place in the city now and in the future.
- A new Digital Mobility Policy Advisory Council will guide work to ensure it aligns with industry and operator needs. The Advisory Council’s work complements recent work by our Autonomous Vehicle Inclusive Planning Cohort, which you can read more about in this previous blog post.
- Funding is provided by the 2023–2025 Washington State Supplemental Transportation Budget, in partnership with the Open Mobility Foundation, Blue Systems, and the University of Washington Sustainable Transportation Lab.
Seattle is taking the next big step toward a safer, more connected transportation system with the launch of a new pilot program: the Digital Conflict Area Awareness Management Program (dCAAMP). This innovative effort aims to proactively share information on conflict areas in advance to inform autonomous vehicles and connected fleet operations.
The project is a first-of-its-kind initiative to share real-time emergency dispatch data in a machine-readable format that can be used by any connected fleet. Connected fleets include many types of vehicles like autonomous vehicles, buses, fire trucks, and certain cars equipped to send and receive emergency alerts and other information.
This work is made possible by funding from the Washington State Legislature in the 2023-2025 Washington State Supplemental Transportation Budget. We appreciate the Legislature’s funding support, including Senate Transportation Committee Chair Sen. Marko Liias for championing this effort.
Why this matters
Seattle, like many cities, is preparing for a future that includes more autonomous vehicles and connected fleets. But today, there’s a gap: real-time emergency information is not shared in formats that can be easily used by mapping companies, mobility services, and autonomous vehicles. With dCAAMP, Seattle is bridging that gap.
Currently, when a fire truck or ambulance is dispatched to an emergency, that information is not shared with the wider transportation ecosystem. dCAAMP changes that by using the Open Mobility Foundation’s Mobility Data Specification to make emergency conflict zones visible to connected vehicles in near real-time.
By pursuing innovative technology pilot programs such as dCAAMP, Seattle is preparing for the future as more major events and large construction projects take place, so the City can continue to effectively manage traffic and respond to traffic incidents when they occur.
How it works
The program integrates directly with Seattle’s 911 Computer-Aided Dispatch system. When first responders are sent to an incident, the system flags that location based on the location, emergency type, and number and types of emergency vehicles dispatched.
This information is then transmitted in a machine-readable format using the Mobility Data Specification. That means autonomous vehicles, mapping providers, and other mobility operators will have access to the data in a format that they can integrate into their systems to avoid the area—improving safety for emergency responders and streamlining operations by avoiding downstream incidents.
Mobility Data Specification overview
The Mobility Data Specification is designed to enable cities to manage any shared mobility option in the public right of way, including autonomous vehicles. These specifications are already used by cities across the world, including Seattle, to manage scooter and bike share. They are a set of Application Programming Interfaces, which are protocols that allow data to flow securely between cities and transportation providers.
Who’s involved?
This work is led by the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) in partnership with:
- Open Mobility Foundation
- Blue Systems
- University of Washington Sustainable Transportation Lab
To guide this effort, SDOT is working with the Foundation to launch a Digital Mobility Policy Advisory Council. It’s a collaborative group of public agencies, tech providers, researchers, and mobility operators. The council will help shape the future of digital mobility policy and ensure the technology aligns with public safety, equity, and innovation goals.
The Advisory Council will:
- Develop best practices for mobility data sharing
- Enhance situational awareness for emergency responders and transportation services
- Create replicable models for other cities
- Support coordination with other SDOT initiatives like curbside management, mobility hubs, and AV readiness planning
What’s next?
Seattle has been a leader in preparing for autonomous vehicles—from launching the state’s first Autonomous Vehicle Testing Permit Program, to collaborating with the City of Bellevue to publish the AV Strategic Vision and incorporating AVs into the Seattle Transportation Plan, to leading one of the first Autonomous Vehicle Inclusive Planning cohorts.
With dCAAMP, we’re building on this foundation—ensuring our city is not just ready for the future, but actively shaping it to provide safe and affordable access to places and opportunities.
Want to learn more about Seattle’s work with connected and autonomous mobility? Visit our Autonomous Vehicle website here: Seattle’s Autonomous Vehicle Approach.
What people are saying
“SDOT is thrilled to implement this important pilot program to share emergency response zone information with connected and automated vehicles, with funding support from Washington State. Seattle has been a leader in shared mobility for years, and we look forward to working closely with our partners to advance new tools that support safer travel for everyone, informed by the community priorities developed with our Autonomous Vehicle Inclusive Planning Cohort. As we prepare for a future that may include more autonomous and connected vehicles, we hope this pilot program provides valuable lessons for transportation operators and cities across the country.” – Armand Shahbazian, Electric and Automated Mobility Policy Advisor, SDOT
“As Seattle prepares for state or federal regulations that would allow autonomous vehicles on our streets, it is essential that those vehicles never slow or impact first responders. Through this innovative pilot, SDOT is introducing tools that will automatically re-route autonomous vehicles away from emergency responses to help ensure they do not impact medical, fire, or police responses. We’ve learned this is an important step from other cities across the nation who already have autonomous vehicles on their streets, and this will help meet the needs of first responders in Seattle.” – Harold Scoggins, Fire Chief, Seattle Fire Department
“As cities face a more connected, dynamic transportation future, investments like Washington State’s are critical to building the digital infrastructure we need to prioritize safety and improve mobility for all. The Open Mobility Foundation is proud to see SDOT leading the way, using open source tools like the Mobility Data Specification (MDS) to turn digital policy into real-world impact, and setting a powerful example for public agencies across the country.” – Andrew Glass Hastings, Executive Director, Open Mobility Foundation
“The Sustainable Transportation Lab is excited to partner with the Seattle Department of Transportation, Open Mobility Foundation, and Blue Systems to deliver new digital tools and data-driven solutions to provide critical emergency zone information to connected and autonomous vehicles. Deploying new strategies and approaches is key to increasing transportation network productivity. We look forward to sharing our research on this project and its implementation.” – Don MacKenzie, Associate Professor, Civil & Environmental Engineering, University of Washington
“Blue Systems is excited to support the Seattle Department of Transportation in piloting this innovative approach to sharing emergency dispatching information. By leveraging the Mobility Data Specification and our expertise implementing our Smart Mobility Platform, we look forward to demonstrating and building tools that can streamline connected and autonomous transportation in complex and dynamic urban environments.” – Christy Hirsch, Head of Growth, Blue Systems