Residents near the station will have to endure the noise because the fire trucks and ambulance will use the warning system to alert cars that they are coming out of the station, a mere 25 feet from the roadway.

Bob Chuck, chairman of the Kuli'ou'ou Kalani Iki Neighborhood Board, said residents are concerned about the noise that will come. "We'd like to be involved in the planning process," Chuck said at the December neighborhood board meeting.

"It's quite an old station," Tomita said. "We have a very short driveway apron because of the widening of Kalaniana'ole Highway. We see this system as a necessity and a liability issue. It's a very dangerous situation for the fire trucks and ambulance. We've been very fortunate that nothing has happened yet."

The station has been operating with a system that turns the traffic signals red in both directions, but that works only when the truck is moving, Tomita has said. The city has hired a consultant to design the system, Tomita said. Construction bids have been solicited, but no contract has been awarded yet. The city estimates it will cost less than $200,000 to build the system.

The fire station gets an average of at least 45 calls a day, said fire Capt. Herb Knudsen. For the trucks to back into the station, a firefighter has to stop traffic in the town-bound lanes.

"Its a big problem for us," Knudsen said. "When we pull out, we can't even close our door until our engine is all the way through the first lane of traffic. It's pretty scary."