Buncombe County non-emergency calls moving to Amazon's machine learning AI technology

Ryley Ober, Asheville Citizen Times
Buncombe County's Emergency Management call center
Buncombe County's Emergency Management call center

ASHEVILLE — Non-emergency calls for law enforcement, fire and social services in Buncombe County are switching to machine learning technology, a service provided by Amazon, as the 911 call center faces a 23% decrease in staffing.

Starting as early as May 6, the county’s call center will undergo a 30-day training where callers to non-emergency lines will ask their question to a machine, then be transferred to a live call-taker, as announced by the county in an April 16 news release. After that 30-day period, “the machine will route non-emergency calls to the appropriate location for response,” the statement said.

“For instance, say someone needs a copy of a police report, it will transfer them to the correct staff member's number to help them get that report,” Lillian Govus, county spokesperson, told the Citizen Times.

The step toward machine learning is meant to allow trained call-takers to prioritize emergency calls, enable faster response times for critical incidents and reduce call wait times, the announcement said. The county said the machine learning algorithm — which is a form of artificial intelligence — can quickly categorize and prioritize non-emergency calls.

The announcement comes as the county’s 911 staffing is down nearly 23%, with 16 positions vacant out of 71, according to Govus. She confirmed the county is currently hiring for the vacant positions.

"Staffing is continually a need in 911 communication centers locally, regionally, and nationally," Govus said. "We keep the posting listed as an evergreen position ... The actual vacancy rate varies."

Buncombe County's Emergency Management call center
Buncombe County's Emergency Management call center

The machine learning technology is provided through Amazon Web Services and will cost about $16,836 per year, but billing is usage-based, “so it could fluctuate some,” Govus said.

Amazon Web Services offers a product called Amazon Connect, a cloud-based, artificial intelligence-powered contact center, that addresses non-emergency calls placed to administrative lines, according to amazon.com.

Some counties in South Carolina and Virginia, such as Arlington County, have switched to this service over live call-takers for non-emergencies in the last year following a 30-day pilot program.

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"Prior to using machine learning, our dispatchers were handling calls from people looking for directions to the Blue Ridge Parkway, reporting loud parties, or even checking to see when fireworks were scheduled,” DK Wesley, assistant county manager, said in the news release regarding calls to non-emergency numbers handled by the call center.

“By diverting some of the more than 800 non-emergency calls per day to machine learning, our highly trained first responders can focus on emergencies when time is of the essence.”

While non-emergency calls will be handled by machine learning technology, emergency calls will continue to be directed to human responders for immediate assistance.

“Public safety remains the county's top priority, and this transition is designed to enhance efficiency without compromising the quality of service,” the announcement said.

The non-emergency lines moving to machine learning are:

  • 828-252-1110 (Asheville Police Department non-emergency)

  • 828-250-6670 (Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office non-emergency)

  • 828-250-6650 (Emergency Management Services/fire non-emergency)

  • 828-250-6690 (Department of Social Services after hours/weekend/holiday)

The county also gave the following reminders:

  • If you have an emergency, always call or text 911.

  • When you call 911, do NOT hang up.

  • If you accidentally call 911, do NOT hang up. Wait for a call-taker to answer and let them know it was an accidental dial.

  • If you have an emergency, you will always speak to a live call-taker, even if you call a non-emergency line.

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Ryley Ober is the Public Safety Reporter for Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA Today Network. Email her at rober@gannett.com and follow her on Twitter @ryleyober

This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Buncombe County using Amazon machine learning tech for non-emergencies

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