Regional Industry & News

Dane County launches AI assistant for non-emergency calls

New service aims to free up 911 operators for emergency calls

MADISON, Wis. (WMTV) - Dane County residents who call the non-emergency number will no longer get a person on the other end. Callers will now be greeted by Ava, an artificial intelligence assistant.

Ava is a public safety answering point (PSAP) developed by a company called Aurelian, which specializes in automated PSAPs.

The service helps 911 operators focus on emergency calls, allowing them to respond to more life-threatening situations.

Dane County Public Safety Communications Director Luis Bixler said Ava uses keywords to help identify non-emergency situations from emergencies.

Bixler said this helps free up 60% of non-emergency call volume.

“But one singular event can overwhelm the center at times, a crash on the Beltline or a weather event,” Bixler said. “So having our non-emergency call volume diverted to Ava, we’re able to better answer those calls because inevitably within those calls is a different emergency that we need to respond quickly to.”

Contract and cost

Bixler said the cost for Ava is approximately $180,000 a year. He said it is a subscription service billed annually, and the county’s contract allows it to stop service within 30 days.

Bixler said the county wanted that flexibility to make sure the service is meeting its needs.

Bixler said a grant paid for 90% of this year’s expenses. He said the grant came through the Office of Emergency Communications within the Wisconsin Department of Military Affairs.

Data and call review

Bixler said the system is closed, and information is not shared with outside entities. He said everything is on-premises and secured by the county.

Bixler said every call that comes through Ava is evaluated. He said a communicator reviews each call to make sure all information is taken to affect dispatch, while Aurelian evaluates every call transcript to ensure the system continues to improve in service delivery.

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