Call centers continue to field AI-generated 911 calls
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Some personal and home devices can automatically call 911 when they detect potentially unsafe conditions. For dispatchers, leveraging tech could be key to handling a rise in those alerts.
Earlier this year, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved a smartwatch feature from Google that automatically alerts emergency services if the device detects that the wearer’s pulse has stopped. The tech, driven by artificial intelligence and sensor capabilities, aims to improve response times for public safety personnel and save lives more quickly, but could pose challenges for already staff-strapped call centers, experts say.
Google’s smartwatch development is part of a wave in recent years in which smart devices, like wearables or home devices, have advanced to be able to alert 911 call centers when they pick up on unexpected movement or behavior, such as the sensation of falling or crashing. Some Apple smartphones and smartwatches contain the feature, which has caused public safety officials to raise concerns over the impact of unintentional 911 calls to dispatch centers.
In 2023, for instance, emergency preparedness authorities in Wisconsin’s Waukesha County reported that dispatchers received more than 300 accidental 911 alerts one weekend, siphoning critical time and resources to nonemergencies.
Like many industries today, AI is hitting the public safety sector “at a faster pace than we know how to deal with collectively,” said Brandon Abley, chief technology officer at the National Emergency Number Association. By 2026, an estimated 33% of emergency calls will be generated from internet-of-things devices or AI assistants.
The rapid development and implementation of AI is “outpacing the ability for people to figure out how to use them and to understand some of the pitfalls and dangers associated with using AI technologies,” Abley said. For instance, there’s a risk of call operators not having the knowledge or procedures in place to handle automated 911 calls from smart devices, potentially impacting response times and operations.
While dispatch centers and public safety agencies can’t control the novel ways that various companies are integrating AI into consumer tech, he said, an increasing number of public safety agencies are leveraging innovative tools themselves to keep up with those changes.
Using AI to handle AI’s impact is one way agencies and call centers can prepare for the rise of automated 911 calls, said Hodan Omaar, senior policy manager at the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation’s Center for Data Innovation. AI systems can identify trends in different types of calls or analyze call data that can help dispatchers more efficiently determine which calls are nonemergent or unintentional and which calls require a response.
But call centers should maintain human operators to verify or make final decisions about AI outputs, Omaar said, as the tech should be viewed as an enhancement to personnel’s ability rather than a replacement.
In Maryland, Baltimore City’s 911 Call and Dispatch Center announced it would start implementing AI to improve call management efficiency, including automated rerouting of nonemergency 911 calls, earlier this year. A similar effort is underway in Tennessee, where the Hamilton County 911 Center has implemented an AI-enabled call assistant tool that can help direct calls to appropriate departments, ensuring callers with immediate emergencies can connect with operators sooner.
The Grand Island Emergency Center in Nebraska will also leverage AI as a training tool for dispatchers to practice handling various types of 911 calls and emergency situations. Developing standards and procedures for call centers to manage different call situations, such as AI-generated alerts, is another key to ensure dispatchers can effectively prepare for 911-related tech advancements in the future, Abley said.
“Anything that's new is always an opportunity as well as a challenge,” he said. “And the 911 professionals themselves are good at looking at both opportunities and challenges and addressing them, so I'm confident that our 911 professionals across the country … will be able to adapt to AI in the 911 space.”