Anoka County, Minn., Lets AI Answer Nonemergency Calls

Anoka County’s Emergency Communication Center is testing an AI call taker to handle nonemergency calls and free up dispatchers for high-priority emergencies.
AI will field low-priority nonemergency calls, such as parking complaints or noise concerns, while 911 calls will continue to be answered by dispatchers.
The AI tool aims to help manage the average 1,100 calls per day, with two-thirds of them being non-urgent.
Dispatcher workloads will be relieved so they can focus more on critical incidents, as they can field up to 150 calls daily.
The system is also intended to provide better customer service and quicker transfer to a live dispatcher if needed, complete with a call transcript.
A public demo line is available to test the AI assistant’s functionality.
Similar AI-driven systems are in use in other municipalities, such as Dakota County, which handles 33% of its non-urgent calls through AI.
The AI call taker is expected to be fully operational soon, complementing the emergency communication center’s existing workflow.

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