Cop's invention could clear roads for rescue

by Trenton Daniel, Miami Herald Staff Writer

A Florida police officer hopes to make a difference in the safety of his fellow officers and that of the citizens they serve.  He's the inventor of a vehicle-alerting device called the "BOLO 911".

It was a weekday about 5 p.m. four years ago, and Sgt. Rex Galindo was on the road trying to reach a car accident in the city's active southeast corner.  Galindo remembers turning on his flashing lights and sirens.  But the traffic remained tight, thick and unyielding, in a South Florida rush-hour kind of way.  Music from a radio in a car ahead of Galindo kept its driver occupied and oblivious to Galindo's emergency signals.  Later that night, the officer's frustration turned into something that might give Rex Galindo some notoriety.  After the 12-year police veteran returned to his home, he sketched out an idea -- on a napkin, naturally.  The idea, a device to warn drivers of approaching emergency vehicles, is now patented. Galindo named his invention the BOLO 911 -- cop talk for ''Be On The Lookout.''    The black fuzz-buster-looking device will warn drivers of oncoming (from forward or behind) police cars, fire engines, ambulances, school buses loading and unloading children, and also railroad crossings that are ahead.  Regardless of the noise level in or outside the motor vehicle, or the operator's ability to hear, the operator will be alerted to the emergency or other reason for caution that is in the immediate area.

''My goal would be for this to be a state law''

It is a well-known fact that many police officers are killed while making what citizens believe are "routine" motor vehicle stops.  Traffic accidents kill police officers and firefighters as well.   Public safety in general is also at risk when these police cars, fire engines, and ambulances are trying to arrive at locations to provide service, and cannot get through the traffic, due to inattentive drivers, those talking on cell phones, listening to the radio or personal music players, or just playing the overly loud "boombox" type device.  ''The point is to save lives and cut down on the reaction time,'' said Galindo, ``When I'm right on top of you ... drivers think, oh, what am I going to do?''  Galindo wants his invention -- meant to warn drivers and give them ample time to pull over -- to be something akin to the center brake light mounted in the rear window, a requirement of all passenger cars since model year 1986 and all new light trucks since model year 1994. ''My goal would be for this to be a state law,'' said Galindo.  A photograph of a prototype shows a receiver having three rows of lights -- blue to signal police, red for fire and ambulance, and yellow for oncoming trains and school buses.  A second unit will be installed in the emergency vehicles and will send a signal to the receiver, just as a toll booth signal connects with a SunPass, the automatic toll device indicating a paid toll, Galindo said.  The BOLO 911 will operate on a triple “A” battery, or plug into a cigarette lighter.  Velcro will keep the device fastened to the dashboard, and eventually the device can be built into the dashboard during the motor vehicle manufacturing process.

Galindo hasn't found an investor yet, but he said he expects to either lease the license or sell the idea outright.  The need for the BOLO 911, he said, couldn't be greater in this distraction-heavy era. ''With cell phones and radios and boom boxes, and even DVDs, it's almost impossible to get your message out there,'' Galindo said. “You actually see drivers watching movies.'' Of course, Galindo realizes, his invention works only if drivers heed the flashing and bleeping signals emitting from their dashboard and pull over to the side of the road.  ''The actions of the driver are his own,'' Galindo said.  “We can only tell them what they should do.  The law already exists: You will yield to emergency vehicles.''  This is the first patent for Galindo, though he said he has had ideas for others, including, he jokes, a patent to get minivans out of the left-hand lane.  ''All you want to do is get through the traffic,'' Galindo said, referring to emergency situations.  “I'm very anxious for it to be put into use,  just imagine all the lives that will be saved.''

Trenton Daniel

Local Cop Works Overtime on Safety

by  N. J. Lane, Weston Express Staff Writer

Like many others, I was a visitor to South Florida, specifically Fort Lauderdale, years ago on vacation.  Tempted by the beautiful weather, and pursuing a job offer, I returned some years later to Miami.  Back then times must have been simpler and less complicated, because I don’t remember seeing tragedy after senseless tragedy on the TV news every day, most of them involving traffic “incidents”.  I use the term “incident”, not “accident”, because I ask myself, “How can one really HIT AND KILL someone at the side of the road BY ACCIDENT”?          

 It seems to me that the amount of death and injury on the highways is on the rise, even     though there are newer and more thought-out laws to prevent them, such as Florida’s new “Move Over” Act, signed by Governor Bush in May of 2002.   This law makes it mandatory for a driver, when observing police action on the side of a highway with more than two lanes going in the same direction, to vacate the lane nearest to where he or she observes the flashing strobe lights of the police unit(s), or, on a two-lane road, to slow down to 20 miles per hour LESS THAN the posted speed limit.  Sounds simple, right?  Well, it would be if:  1) everyone KNEW about the law, and 2) everyone FOLLOWED the directions of the law.  According to a Florida Highway Patrol page on the MyFlorida.com  website, “During the five-year period of 1996-2000, motorists in Florida crashed into working law enforcement vehicles that were stopped/parked along Florida roadways 1,793 times, resulting in five deaths and 419 injuries”.  FIVE DEATHS and 419 INJURIES of on duty law enforcement officers?  Outrageous!  Is anyone doing anything to try and prevent this from occurring?  YES!!!!

The “YES” is in the person of Sgt. Rex K. Galindo, who works for the Opa-Locka Police Department.  Sgt. Galindo has received a United States patent for an idea he calls “BOLO911”.  (BOLO in police terminology stands for ‘Be On the Look Out’).

Sgt. Galindo’s idea came to him one day, while on duty and trying to reach a car accident in his city.  Sgt Galindo could not get through traffic, due to a driver ahead of him, who was inattentive and unaware of the police strobe lights and siren.  He thought there should be a way to warn ALL drivers, regardless of their ability to hear or their distractions, of emergency vehicle activity nearby.  We have all seen inattentive drivers on cell phones, and have heard the “boom box” level of music emanating from cars near us on the streets.

So, BOLO911 was born.  In a nutshell, this device consists of sensors and three lights, one each red, blue, and yellow, that is mounted or is part of the dash board of any motor vehicle.  This device warns the operator of the vehicle of oncoming (from forward or behind) police cars, fire engines, ambulances, school buses; and also railroad crossings that are ahead.  Regardless of the noise level in or outside the motor vehicle, or the operator's ability to hear, the operator will be alerted to the emergency that is in the immediate area.  It also warns drivers when they enter a school zone.  Just think of how many lives can be saved, accidents avoided, and destinations reached without incident or delay!

BOLO911 was featured in an article in the Miami Herald on July 17, 2005.  In light of the recent tragedies involving Deputy Ryan Seguin , and a few other emergency service personnel that were struck in the days just after Deputy Seguin’s death, it would make sense that an investor, someone with a heartfelt concern for the safety of us all, and the ability to spot an idea that is capable of saving countless lives, would take Sgt. Galindo’s idea and make it a reality.  Sgt. Galindo can be reached at Rex@BOLO911.com.