Kyle, Texas is a growing city. Its current population of 57,470 was a mere 28,662 in 2010, having almost doubled in the last thirteen years. With growth comes opportunity—and an increased concern for public safety as traffic challenges increase.
The well-being of this 36 square-mile jurisdiction falls on Kyle’s dedicated police department, who, over the last few years, had found themselves battling heavy traffic at intersections and along the interstate when responding to emergencies.
Every second counts. Learn how Miovision Opticom’s emergency vehicle preemption (EVP) solution is helping Kyle’s heroes save lives. Using this solution, the Kyle Police Department was able to reduce emergency response times by 25% and intersection collisions by 70%.
Keep reading to find out how.
Addressing Law Enforcement Challenges in Kyle
Traffic congestion is an unfortunate consequence of city growth.
On the surface, this saturation at intersections may seem like a little more than an annoyance for travelers navigating the city. However, dig deeper and you’ll see that it’s endangering communities by making it harder for first responders to do their jobs.
When needed at a scene, emergency responders can’t afford to find themselves stuck in traffic at a crowded intersection. Or, as was often the case in Kyle, being forced to stressfully navigate through traffic as the clock ticks.
Kyle’s law enforcement department recognized the need for an innovative solution that would improve efficiency and safety for their officers, as choosing between speed and safety is a rock-and-hard-place situation where no one wins.
The solution? Emergency vehicle preemption.
Miovision Opticom™ EVP: A Game-Changer for Law Enforcement
Emergency vehicle preemption gives officers the green light when they need it.
When an intersection equipped with Opticom detects a connected emergency vehicle approaching, it can request a green light as needed. This often means traffic signal prioritization for the vehicle requesting preemption. However, it can also mean giving a red light to other road travelers so they don’t drive into the intersection.
The safety benefits that drew Kyle law enforcement to Opticom’s cloud-based EVP solution in partnership with Whelen’s VSG on vehicles to provide signal priority include:
- Decreased emergency response time
- Decreased accidents at intersections
- Increased officer safety
- Faster deployment using existing infrastructure
What’s also worth noting is by giving law enforcement the green light, EVP is easing anxiety and stress by improving officer safety. They deserve the peace of mind.

Customizing EVP: A Tailored Approach to Safety
The beauty of emergency vehicle preemption is in how it can be customizable to meet the needs of specific cities and their road networks. Miovision Opticom’s EVP traffic preemption solutions integrate with existing traffic infrastructure—no overhaul necessary.
The main issues in Kyle were related to delayed response times due to traffic intersections without signal preemption. We worked closely with them to ensure the program delivered results in these areas, but our emergency vehicle preemption platform can be tailored accordingly to fulfill specific needs.
A new fleet of emergency vehicles is not needed to get an emergency vehicle preemption system working, either. Emergency responders can deploy Miovision Opticom using existing hardware on the vehicle, or by adding minimal hardware, while reaping the benefits of improved response time and signal priority without replacements.
Deployment Overview
In February 2023, we deployed Miovision Opticom EVP across 19 intersections and in 35 police and fire vehicles in Kyle, Texas. The intersection and vehicle technology are connected on the Opticom cloud-based platform that seamlessly integrates with Whelen VSG that were installed on Kyle police department’s vehicles.
Constant communication is needed between both to produce improved safety and efficiency—and that’s what traffic signal prioritization provides.
The Intersection of Safety and Technology: Results
In Kyle, the Miovision Opticom EVP solution has led to a 25% reduction in delays for first responders. It has also reduced the risk of intersection collisions involving emergency vehicles by 70%.
Hear what this means from Chief of Police Jeff Barnett in the video below:
Mutual Aid and Seamless Operations
Mutual aid and cooperation between law enforcement jurisdictions is another concern that Emergency vehicle preemption addresses.
It’s not uncommon for police to cross boundaries into neighboring cities, such as during a car chase. Navigating outside their normal jurisdiction is risky—especially when moving at high speeds—but the reach of EVP helps alleviate these concerns.
Miovision Opticom’s EVP solution isn’t bound by city lines. Traffic signal prioritization works wherever it’s needed. Speak to one of our EVP experts to learn more about how it can be deployed in your region.

A Safer Tomorrow: EVP’s Lasting Impact
The clock is always ticking for first responders.
Even arriving one minute sooner can be life-changing. The proof is in the data: arrests rates drop to approximately 20% when police arrival times exceed five minutes, compared to over 60% when they arrive sooner than that.
EVP’s lasting impact therefore cannot be overstated. As more municipalities use it to revamp their existing traffic infrastructure, the world will become safer for first responders and everyone who relies on them in times of need.
Priority control solutions are the future of community safety.
A (Mio)vision of a Safer Future
Emergency vehicle preemption saves lives in Kyle, Texas. It’s helping this budding city manage their traffic-related growing pains by ensuring law enforcement personnel and first responders can do their jobs quickly and safely.
Your city could be next. If your law enforcement team is encountering similar problems to those we solved in Kyle, we encourage you to explore Miovision Opticom’s emergency vehicle preemption as a solution. This industry-defining technology has been helping first responders for over 60 years—the proof is in the data.