Artificial intelligence dispatch systems will help save Utah lives
Aug 31, 2023, 6:00 AM | Updated: 6:30 am
Provo police say a 40-year-old woman died in a fall in Rock Canyon on Saturday, Sept. 23, 2023. (Jeffrey D. Allred/Deseret News)
(Jeffrey D. Allred/Deseret News)
UTAH COUNTY— A new artificial intelligence system is in place to help cut response times for Utah police and fire departments.
In Provo and Orem cities, the Phoenix G-R voice alert dispatch module will help cut dispatch personnel in half and reduce response times by seconds.
Dispatch centers currently operate where one dispatcher receives an emergency call, and another dispatcher sends out details to police and fire crews. This new AI system will take the place of the second dispatcher.
“What this program does is it takes the information that the receiving dispatcher puts into the system, and then there’s an automated system that actually goes in and dispatches the units to that call,” Deputy Fire Marshal Jeanie Atherson said.
By working in sync with the first dispatcher, the AI system will be faster at relaying details to first responders. Thus helping to reduce response times.
“We’re going to cut off seconds that can save somebody’s life,” said Atherson. “It will increase our ability to get to calls quicker.”
The system is currently installed in Provo and Orem’s public safety dispatching center. It will be fully up and running after some work on its software integration.
