SK Telecom (NYSE:SKM) today announced that the company will work together with the National Fire Agency to mount “emergency vehicle alarm service” on T Map, the company’s mobile navigation app for cars.

SK Telecom’s new, cutting-edge alarm service is expected to help keep the golden hour, also known as the golden time, during accidents to prevent traumatic injury or death. 

T Map’s “emergency vehicle alarm service” notifies vehicles on the way to the accident area when a fire truck, an ambulance or other emergency vehicles are dispatched. Starting July 23, users who turn on the T Map on the highway will automatically receive these alarms.

When the National Fire Agency’s information system sends the locations of an emergency vehicle and accident scene to SK Telecom’s connected car platform called Smart[Fleet], the Smart[Fleet] server finds an optimal driving route and alerts vehicles that are likely on the way of the emergency vehicle.

The emergency alarm will be sent twice: First, when the emergency vehicle is far from vehicles driving ahead (with about 700m~1500m distance between them). Second, when vehicles ahead are relatively close to the emergency vehicle (with about 300m~700m of distance). This allows drivers to check the distance and change their lanes in advance.  

T Map is the country’s most widely used mobile navigation app for cars with its MAU (Monthly Active User) surpassing 11 million. SK Telecom and the National Fire Agency’s mounting the “emergency vehicle alarm service” on T Map will drastically reduce the time taken to dispatch emergency vehicles.

This February, the company commercially launched T Map’s V2X (Vehicle to Everything) technology after applying smart fleet platform to notify T Map users of vehicles stopping abruptly ahead on the highway.

The company will continue to develop services such as alerting about vehicles pulled over to the side of the highway, vehicles running at high speed and urgently dispatched police vehicle to enhance road safety.

“Emergency vehicle alarm service” is a showcase example of promoting social value by utilizing data analytic technologies of T Map and connected car,” said Park Jin-hyo, EVP of ICT R&D Center at SK Telecom. “We will continue to develop various technologies that will help secure road safety through T Map’s V2X technology.”

“We will strive to expand the public–private partnership to inform the public about disasters in diverse ways,” said Bae Deok-gon, Fire Chief, Fire Equipment and Aviation Division of the National Fire Agency.