Fairfax County is turning to artificial intelligence to help prevent long wait times for nonemergency calls.
At a recent county safety and security meeting, Scott Brillman, director for the county’s department of public safety communications, detailed plans for the AI system. It will help the department prevent lengthy wait times for requests that may not need to be addressed by a person.
FFX Now first reported the county’s plans for the AI system.
The change in approach comes as the number of nonemergency calls the county is responding to is surpassing the number of emergency calls. So far this year, there have been almost 507,000 nonemergency calls, compared to 497,000 in all of 2023. There have been almost 421,000 emergency calls so far this year, down from almost 443,000 last year.
“What has worked for Fairfax County for so many years, which is taking all these calls by phone, is not sustainable in 2024,” said Brillman, adding that it’s a problem jurisdictions across the country are facing.
When someone calls the department of public safety communications with a nonemergency call, Brillman said, they’ll get an artificial intelligence voice. Non-emergencies include noise complaints, animal control calls, requests for trash pickup or questions about a speed camera ticket, among other things.
If someone whose first language isn’t English calls, the system will immediately translate the call, so there’s no wait for an interpreter, Brillman added. But the tool will also help the agency “triage the call,” he said.
“If that call does not belong at a public safety 911 center, if that call belongs in Arlington or Alexandria, DPW or DOT, or another agency, this system can route that call to the appropriate agency,” Brillman said.
Residents and visitors that still need to be connected to a 911 dispatcher will have the option to speak to one if they need to. The hub prioritizes emergency calls “which leaves the caller that’s calling about a nonemergency case on hold and waiting in a queue, sometimes for a few minutes, which is frustrating for that caller, and it’s also frustrating for us,” Brillman said.
Handling all types of calls has an impact on the call takers’ mental health, he said, because they can transition from walking someone through administering CPR to taking a call about someone complaining about a neighbor’s grass.
“It’s very frustrating for that, from switching on and off, emergency to nonemergency,” Brillman said. “It does take a toll.”
The AI system could help process calls in the event of a major storm or other emergency, he said, and will be used to support the process the county uses for towing vehicles. The county’s current towing process involves use of fax machines, Brillman said.
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