Waukesha County, Wisconsin has introduced an AI-based system to handle non-emergency calls. The AI service, named “Ava,” can create reports for routine incidents and even transfer callers to human 911 operators if an emergency call accidentally reaches the non-emergency line.
ABC WISN reports that the Waukesha County, Wisconsin has taken a significant step forward in modernizing its dispatching services by implementing an AI-powered assistant named Ava. This innovative system is designed to handle non-emergency calls, allowing human dispatchers to focus on more pressing matters that require immediate attention.
Chris Becker, the operations manager at the Waukesha County Communications Center, explained that the AI system is a significant departure from their previous practices. “It is definitely a lot different than anything we have ever done before,” he said. Becker explains that the primary goal of introducing Ava is to help 911 dispatchers prioritize calls involving actual emergencies by offloading non-emergency inquiries.
Non-emergency calls can encompass a wide range of topics, from neighbor disputes to questions about parade routes. “That is the type of information we are trying to offload from our dispatchers,” Becker noted. When callers dial the non-emergency number in Waukesha County, they are greeted by Ava, who asks, “Hi, my name is Ava, how can I help?”
One of the most impressive features of the AI system is its ability to interact with callers in a manner similar to a human dispatcher. Callers can communicate with Ava as they would with a regular person, and the system can handle up to 300 calls simultaneously. Ava can respond to callers in real-time, asking follow-up questions about the incident to gather more information.
To test the system’s capabilities, WISN 12 News placed two calls to the non-emergency line. In the first scenario, a hypothetical situation involving a deer on the side of the road was presented. Ava asked for the exact location of the deer and, upon learning that it was out of the way of traffic, filed a report. In the second test, a family member was reported to have fallen and was unable to get up. In this case, Ava recognized the urgency of the situation and immediately transferred the call to a human dispatcher.
Ava’s ability to detect when a non-emergency call escalates to an actual emergency is a critical feature of the system. It scans for keywords such as “guns” or “weapons” and transfers any call requiring a response from EMS or fire services to a human dispatcher.
Currently, Waukesha and La Crosse are the only counties in Wisconsin to have implemented AI in their dispatching services. However, Becker believes that this technology could become more widespread in the future. “I think I see this pretty much going everywhere,” he said.
The AI system was designed by Aurelian, a Seattle-based company, and its implementation in Waukesha County is being funded through grants. As more counties recognize the potential benefits of AI-assisted dispatching, it is likely that this technology will become an integral part of emergency response systems across the country.
Read more at ABC WISN here.
Lucas Nolan is a reporter for Breitbart News covering issues of free speech and online censorship.
