Fowlerville, Mich. July 23, 2009 – A Tier One automotive supplier has rolled out the red carpet – several miles of it – so the Livingston County EMS can use its 870-acre test track and proving ground for paramedic driver training – at no cost to the county. FT-Techno of America (FTTA), an Aisin Holdings of America company, said for the second consecutive year it will host the EMS for its annual Emergency Vehicle Operations Course driver recertification training, Sat. and Sun., July 25-26, 2009, at the Fowlerville Proving Grounds.

“Aisin companies are extremely committed to their communities,” said Terry Takano, vice president, FTTA. “It’s a value we share at our facilities around the world, and being a ‘good neighbor’ is important for all of us. Helping the Livingston County EMS, which provides such vital services to our community, is simply the right thing to do.”

Jeff Boyd, Livingston County EMS director, said this year’s training will focus on new, high-tech equipment that was recently installed in the county’s 19 ambulances and emergency response vehicles. The equipment, called ‘Road Safety,’ is an on board computer that Boyd likens to an aircraft black box.

“Road Safety monitors a driver’s skills and, when necessary, provides real-time audio alerts and driver feedback, which has proven to increase safety to our employees, the public and our patients,” said Boyd. “Meanwhile, at EMS headquarters, the technology enables us to monitor the location of the unit, as well as the driver’s habits.” Boyd said the equipment monitors seat belt and turn signal use, speed, braking, and G-forces applied to the unit.

“Livingston County is fortunate to have a corporate neighbor like the Fowlerville Proving Ground,” said Boyd. “With increased traffic on roads and highways, it’s so important for us to maintain and update our drivers’ training programs with new technology. There are very few places in Michigan where we can go to conduct this type of training, and FTTA provides a safe, closed environment for our people to get the instruction they need.”

Boyd said the Collision Avoidance Training (CAT) that will be utilized this weekend, was adopted by Livingston County EMS due to its proven safety record. CAT training is being used by other agencies that have logged more than seven million miles without an at-fault accident. It consists of six hours of classroom training, two hours of open road driving, and an hour at a closed cone course.

Several driving exercises are planned that are designed to maintain the driving skill level of the paramedics, including a controlled, high speed lane change maneuver, and a serpentine maneuver in both forward and reverse. Some 60 Livingston County paramedics are expected to go through the weekend training.

The Livingston County EMS is one of the largest county EMS units in Michigan. With 63 staff members, including 48 full time and 20 part time paramedics, EMS staffs 5 stations located throughout the county on a 24-hour, 7-days-per-week basis and several peak time 12 hours units throughout the 24 hour period.

Aisin Holdings of America, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Aisin Group, a $20.2 billion company headed by Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd., Aichi, Japan. The Aisin Group is a worldwide, Tier One supplier of automotive components, such as brakes, transmissions, drivetrain, chassis, body and information-related/navigation systems, and engine-related parts. Worldwide, Aisin has 151 consolidated companies and employs 66,000 people. In North America, Aisin Group companies include 32 manufacturing, R & D and sales centers, and approximately 10,000 employees.

Media Contact:
Rohatynski-Harlow Public Relations, LLC
Joe Rohatynski 313.378.6570 Joe@JoePR.com
FTTA
Mike Benjamin 517.223.6787 mbenjamin@ftt-a.com