How is New Orleans Revolutionizing 911 Call Centers with AI?

Introduction

The Orleans Parish Communication District is pioneering the use of AI to manage 911 calls, aiming to ease the burden on human call takers.

AI-Powered Call Triage

New Orleans is the first city to implement Call Triage by Carbyne. This software helps to filter out redundant calls, ensuring that only necessary calls reach human operators.

Current Implementation

Currently, the AI system is used for motor vehicle accidents, and plans are in place to expand its use to other nonviolent incidents. The AI’s efficiency is expected to match the work of two full-time staff members.

Staffing Challenges

Karl Fasold, the executive director, highlights the staffing crisis in emergency call centers nationwide. Despite continuous recruitment efforts, many positions remain unfilled due to the stressful nature of the job.

Impact on Response Times

AI is not only helping with call triage but also speeding up interactions between callers and human operators. This is crucial for meeting national benchmarks for response times, which are currently challenging to achieve due to staffing shortages.

Future Prospects

Fasold is optimistic about AI’s potential to fill operational gaps. Beyond call triaging, AI could also assist in translating foreign languages and routing calls more efficiently.

Conclusion

The integration of AI in emergency call centers represents a significant step forward in public safety technology. As more centers adopt these innovations, the hope is to see improved response times and reduced stress on human operators.

For more information, visit the original article on StateScoop.