Across the country, 911 call centers are so understaffed that some are turning to artificial intelligence to answer non-emergency calls.
At Lake County 911 in Indiana, an AI call taker named “AVA” has handled more than 35,000 calls within just months.
But how does it work?
Starting this month, Boulder Police and Fire Communications Center will begin using AI technology during limited hours and days of the week to answer non-emergency calls. The purpose is to provide faster and more efficient responses to those calls, which will allow dispatchers to handle higher priority calls more quickly.
This technology will not be used to answer 911 calls and there are several safeguards in place to immediately transfer calls that become an emergency.
At the recent Vision 2026: FirstNet Users Summit, hosted by the Public Safety Broadband Technology Association (PSBTA), there was a big US map on display for attendees to stick pins in the places where they need coverage and submit written requests.
The activity was a first for the PSBTA’s annual event, which attracted around 430 people from public safety, and illustrated that network coverage remains the biggest issue for many first responders when they rely on 4G and 5G to communicate wherever an emergency takes them.
Four regional emergency dispatch centers including those for Fairfield, West Chester Twp. and Warren County, are being honored for their work.
Those dispatch centers joined with the Cincinnati Emergency Communications Center to work on developing and enhancing integrated Computer Aided Dispatch platforms over the past three years. The platforms enable rapid sharing of critical emergency information.
Legislation to expand and modernize emergency alert access during natural disasters is headed to President Donald Trump’s desk after the U.S. Senate unanimously passed it on Thursday.
The Mystic Alerts Act, introduced by U.S. Rep. August Pfluger (R–Midland), would allow wireless carriers to partner with satellite communications providers to deliver Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEAs) when traditional cellular networks are damaged or unavailable.
Anoka County will spend up to $1.1 million in leftover bond proceeds on security fencing, workspace changes and a replacement for a problematic 911 phone system at its new Emergency Communications Center.
The Anoka County Board voted 6-0 on Sept. 22 to authorize the three projects, which were not included in the building’s original plans but are now considered necessary for safety and operational reasons.
