Suwon Designated as First Recipient of Interior Ministry's "First and Best Government Innovation Cases" Award

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Jung Jun-sung] The "Center-Type Emergency Vehicle Priority Signal System," which Suwon Special City established and operated as the nation's first, was selected for the "First in Korea Award" in the "1st Government Innovation First and Best Cases" competition hosted by the Ministry of Interior and Safety.

The Ministry of Interior and Safety conducted a competition for "Government Innovation First and Best Cases" to discover and disseminate innovative cases that improved citizens' quality of life. The initiative encourages first and best institutions to take pride and innovate further, while guiding other institutions to benchmark excellent organizations so that innovation achievements are widely promoted and disseminated.

Suwon's "Emergency Vehicle Priority Signal System," which has been established and operated since February 2020 as the nation's first, automatically provides a green light when emergency vehicles approach an intersection, with Suwon's Integrated Urban Safety Center tracking vehicle locations via GPS (satellite navigation).

Operating the emergency vehicle priority signal system has reduced the transport time for emergency patients to less than half of the previous time. Average travel time decreased by 56.3% compared to when the system was not in operation.

Suwon can now reach a general hospital emergency room within 10 minutes from anywhere in the city, playing a major role in securing the golden hour for emergency patients. The system has also improved safety for emergency medical technicians by allowing ambulances to pass through intersections without violating traffic signals.

Suwon's emergency vehicle priority signal system received the Presidential Award at the "2020 Proactive Administration Excellence Competition" co-hosted by the Ministry of Interior and Safety and the Ministry of Personnel Management. It is spreading nationwide, with approximately 30 local governments including Busan and Hwaseong benchmarking the system.