Artificial intelligence is at work in the Delaware County 911 Center, helping dispatchers with about 800,000 emergency calls, writes Eric Scicchitano for the Ottumwa Courier.

The center has been using Prepared AI to transcribe the calls since mid-October.

The transcription process verifies what a caller is saying, said Anthony Mignogna, chief of communications for Delaware County Emergency Services.

“We want to know when someone says ‘gun,’ ‘shot,’ ‘not breathing,’ ‘car.’ It flags that,” said Mignogna. “It helps us expedite our call processing time.”

That means a lot when there’s heavy call volume and a staff shortage.

More than half of the nation’s 911 centers are facing staffing emergencies, so AI programs are becoming common.

Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning provide first responders with tools like robotics, speech recognition, and advanced algorithms.

Mignogna said Delaware County will check at the end of the year to see how well the AI is performing. He hopes they can expand the technology to include foreign language translation, imaging, video, and GPS.

“We’re looking for tools like this to help and take some stress off (dispatchers). It’s call after call after call for 12 hours,” Mignogna said.

Find out more about AI uses at the Delaware County 911 Center in the Ottumwa Courier.