Delaware County 911 to use AI to answer non-emergency calls

Delaware County’s 911 Center is close to signing a contract to use an AI service to help answer non-emergency calls.  IPR’s Stephanie Wiechmann reports.

View Transcript

Audio Transcript

00;00;00;01 - 00;00;13;21 Stephanie Wiechmann Director Fred Cummings says a report shows the county's 911 center needs 11 more employees, but it isn't in the financial position to add more staff. So this is a creative solution to the more than 100,000 nonemergency calls received every year. 00;00;13;22 - 00;00;23;10 Fred Cummings Understand that they take calls for really stupid stuff. That should never come into a dispatch center, and our call volume continuously goes up and up and up every year. 00;00;23;13 - 00;00;35;13 Stephanie Wiechmann According to Cummings, Delaware County will be the third Indiana county to use AI in this way, after Lake and Madison counties, Cummings told the county council last week that Madison County has seen a positive result to their dispatcher workload. 00;00;35;17 - 00;00;41;29 Fred Cummings I think she told me they cut 80 % of their fireworks calls off without ever reaching the dispatcher. It's a huge thing. 00;00;42;00 - 00;00;58;18 Stephanie Wiechmann Cummings says other states have AI answering emergency 911 calls, but he and other Delaware County officials are not supportive of that. Delaware County commissioners approved the contract, but required a legal review and negotiations with the company before the system can be installed. I'm Stephanie Wiechmann in Muncie.

Director Fred Cummings says a report shows the county’s 911 center needs 11 more employees.  But it isn’t in the financial position to add more staff, so this is a creative solution to the more than 100,000 non-emergency calls received every year.

“Understand that they take calls for really stupid stuff that should never come into a dispatch center,” he explained to county commissioners.  “And our call volume continuously goes up and up and up every year.”

According to Cummings, Delaware County will be the third Indiana county to use AI in this way, after Lake and Madison counties.  Cummings told the county council last week that Madison County has seen a positive result to their dispatcher workload.

“I think she told me they cut 80 percent of their fireworks calls off without ever reaching a dispatcher … which is a huge thing.”

Read More: Madison County Council approves pay raise for 911 emergency dispatchers

Cummings says some other states have AI answering emergency 911 calls, but he and other Delaware County officials are not supportive of that.

Cummings says in the beginning, the system will be set up to transfer a caller to a human dispatcher the first time they ask.  He says other systems require five or six asks.  But, Cummings says the goal is to increase the number of asks gradually, giving citizens time to get used to the AI system.

Read More: Former Delaware County employee arrested for felony counts of theft from county

The $85,000 per year contract will be paid from a statewide 911 fund, not out of the county budget.  Commissioner Stephen Brand noted that per year price was about the price for one county 911 employee, when the cost of benefits and retirement account are added.

Delaware County Commissioners approved the contract, but required a legal review and negotiations with the company before the system can be installed.

Stephanie Wiechmann is our Managing Editor and “All Things Considered” Host.  Contact her at slwiechmann@bsu.edu.