911 call centers, also known as PSAPs (Public Safety Answering Points), are the critical lifeline between the public and first responders. Every year, these centers process hundreds of millions of calls, from life-threatening emergencies to routine, non-urgent reports. Yet the operational challenges facing these centers are mounting. Staffing vacancies, growing call volumes and the complexity of modern emergencies have stretched many centers to their limits.
The public expects immediate access to help when they dial 911, but traditional staffing models and manual call processing are struggling to keep pace with today’s demands. Hiring more personnel is rarely a quick or sustainable solution due to budget constraints, lengthy training cycles and increasing turnover. As a result, leaders in public safety are seeking tools that enhance efficiency and support the professionals who perform this critical work.
AI call automation has emerged as one of those solutions. Just as Computer-Aided Dispatch (CAD) systems transformed call taking and dispatching decades ago, AI-driven call handling is poised to be the next step in modernizing emergency communications.
This technology isn’t about replacing people. Instead, it allows skilled professionals to focus on the calls that truly need human expertise while AI manages routine, repetitive or low-priority calls. By doing so, agencies can improve response times, reduce stress and burnout among staff and create a more resilient public safety ecosystem.
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The problem: Staffing, call volume and operational strain
For decades, emergency communications centers (ECCs) have dealt with a high volume of calls, but recent trends have intensified the strain. According to the National Emergency Number Association (NENA), 911 centers in the U.S. handle over 240 million calls each year (NENA, 2023), with many centers reporting staff shortages and difficulty filling positions.
The challenge isn’t just the number of calls — it’s the nature of those calls. A large percentage of calls coming into public safety dispatch centers are not emergencies. According to a 2021 report by the National 911 Program, non-emergency calls can account for more than 60% of total call volume in some jurisdictions. Non-urgent issues like parking disputes, noise complaints or illegal firework reports often consume valuable time and resources that could otherwise be directed toward critical incidents.
The challenge isn’t just the number of calls — it’s the nature of those calls. A large percentage of calls coming into public safety dispatch centers are not emergencies.
Even with fully staffed centers, the manual nature of call intake creates bottlenecks during peak call periods or large-scale incidents. When emergencies spike — such as during severe weather, public events or major incidents — dispatchers can be overwhelmed by call surges, resulting in delays or long hold times. These delays increase stress for both the public and emergency personnel who rely on timely, accurate information to respond effectively.
Staffing shortages compound these challenges. Recruiting and training skilled call takers is time-intensive and costly, while turnover rates remain high due to the demanding nature of the job. According to the International Academies of Emergency Dispatch, annual turnover rates for emergency dispatchers can range from 15% to over 30%. High turnover contributes to a cycle in which remaining staff take on heavier workloads, increasing burnout risk and reducing retention. Research from the “Journal of Emergency Dispatch” also links prolonged high call volume to elevated stress levels and increased absenteeism.
Traditional solutions — such as adding overtime shifts or hiring additional staff — are no longer enough. Emergency communications leaders need strategies that optimize existing resources and improve call-handling efficiency without compromising public safety. AI doesn’t replace the need for hiring, but it gives current staff relief and reduces the need to wait for additional funding or recruits.
The opportunity: How AI call automation works
AI call automation offers a way to reimagine how calls are managed without replacing the human expertise at the heart of public safety. AI-powered call handling is designed to take on repetitive and low-priority tasks, streamlining the workflow for call takers and dispatchers.
How it works:
- Triage and data collection: AI systems can answer non-emergency calls, gather essential details — such as location, nature of the complaint or key contextual information — and pass structured data to a human dispatcher if necessary.
- Prioritization: By filtering out routine calls or categorizing them based on urgency, AI ensures that the most critical emergencies receive immediate human attention.
- Information delivery: AI can provide callers with automated updates, such as reporting timelines for non-urgent complaints or directing them to self-service resources when appropriate.
The value is clear: AI increases capacity with the resources and people already in place. Rather than being bogged down by low-priority calls, dispatchers can focus on coordinating responses to urgent emergencies.
Agencies using AI call automation have reported strong results:
- 3+ hours saved per dispatcher per day
- No hold times on automated lines
- 74% of non-emergency calls fully handled without human intervention
That translates to better service, lower stress and more consistent response.
AI handles
Routine and low-priority tasks
- Non-emergency reports (noise, parking, fireworks)
- Repeat calls about the same incident
- Basic intake (location, caller details, call nature)
- Status updates for non-urgent requests
- Routing callers to online or self-service options
Humans handle
High-risk and complex emergencies
- In-progress crimes and violent incidents
- Medical and fire emergencies
- Domestic violence and family disturbances
- Suicidal callers or callers in crisis
- Calls involving children or vulnerable persons
- Situations requiring empathy, nuance or de-escalation
A modern force multiplier
Decades ago, CAD allowed dispatchers to process information faster and more accurately than paper-based systems ever could. AI offers a similar leap forward by enabling faster intake and triage, creating a seamless flow of information that supports better decision-making in real time.
By integrating AI, agencies can:
- Reduce call hold times during peak volume
- Improve dispatcher morale and retention by focusing their skills on high-value work
- Collect cleaner, more consistent data that improves downstream operations and reporting
AI doesn’t just reduce workload — it elevates the role of human professionals, allowing them to focus on work that requires judgment, empathy and experience.
AI call automation in the bigger picture
By taking on routine and repetitive calls, AI empowers dispatch professionals to focus their expertise where it is most needed — on critical and complex incidents. This is not about doing more with fewer people. It is about helping existing staff work more effectively, reducing burnout and improving service quality.
The value of AI call automation extends beyond efficiency. It enables faster triage, more accurate data capture and improved prioritization. In an era where staffing shortages and rising call volumes place increasing pressure on 911 centers, these tools are essential.
Forward-thinking leaders are driving this shift. Agencies that adopt AI call automation today are positioning themselves for the future, demonstrating that innovation and tradition can coexist when the goal is enhancing public safety.
The future of 911 operations
AI call automation will continue to transform how emergency communications centers operate. As natural language processing and machine learning advance, AI systems will become even better at understanding human speech, identifying urgency and escalating calls to dispatchers when human judgment is required.
This evolution will not happen overnight, but the direction is clear: AI will become as integral to 911 operations as CAD systems are today. Its role will be to streamline workflows, capture cleaner data and ensure that human professionals can dedicate their energy to high-impact, life-saving work.
The future of 911 is not fully automated call centers. It is a hybrid model where technology and human expertise complement each other. AI will handle the tasks it is best suited for — such as collecting information, providing status updates and managing non-emergency inquiries — while call takers focus on situations where empathy, intuition and decision-making are irreplaceable.
As agencies prepare for this future, the benefits will extend beyond efficiency. Reduced call wait times, improved caller experiences and less strain on staff will strengthen emergency response organizations.
This evolution will not happen overnight, but the direction is clear: AI will become as integral to 911 operations as CAD systems are today.
The path forward
AI call automation is no longer a concept on the horizon. It is a tool ready to be leveraged. For city managers, police chiefs and public safety leaders, the question is not whether this technology will become standard practice, but how quickly their agencies will harness its benefits.
The leaders who act now — those who see AI as the next step in the evolution of 911 operations — will set the standard for efficiency, resilience and service quality. By evaluating and implementing these solutions today, they will ensure their teams are prepared to meet tomorrow’s challenges with confidence.
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