LOS ANGELES, CA — The Los Angeles Police Department is equipping newly deployed patrol vehicles with technology intended to improve emergency responses and help officers communicate with the public during major incidents, the department announced Wednesday.
Each new black-and-white patrol vehicle will include a Federal Signal Rumbler low-frequency warning system, which operates alongside the vehicle’s traditional siren.
The system emits sound waves that can be heard and physically felt, making it easier to alert motorists inside heavily insulated vehicles, according to the LAPD. Department officials said the added warning could give drivers more time to recognize an approaching police vehicle and move out of its path.
The vehicles will also feature Federal Signal Sync Modules, allowing several patrol cars to broadcast the same prerecorded public safety announcement simultaneously.
Incident commanders will be able to use the vehicles’ speaker systems to issue coordinated evacuation orders, emergency instructions and other messages across a large area, police said.
"These enhancements were made possible through the collaborative efforts of Motor Transport Division and its City vendor partners, who redesigned the patrol vehicle's interior configuration to accommodate the new technology. As a result, the department successfully integrated these advanced capabilities at no additional cost to taxpayers," the LAPD said.
The LAPD did not say how many vehicles currently have the technology or provide a timeline for upgrading the broader patrol fleet.
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