'Project Forward 911:' Milwaukee launches AI-assisted program
'Project Forward 911' AI-assisted program
The Milwaukee Department of Emergency Communications announced the launch of "Project Forward 911," an artificial intelligence-assisted program.
MILWAUKEE - The Milwaukee Department of Emergency Communications on Wednesday announced the launch of "Project Forward 911," an artificial intelligence-assisted program.
How it works
What they're saying:
The department said Project Forward 911 looks to transform how the city's 911 center "supports and empowers" the people who answer emergency calls. Featuring Govworx's CommsCoach, the program uses AI to help with quality assurance and training. AI would not be used to answer 911 calls.
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"We are not turning 911 over to an AI intelligence platform. We're not automating emergency call handling, and we're not removing human judgment from life-critical decisions," said Tony Bueno, the city's emergency communications director. "What we are doing is using technology responsibly to support continuous improvement."
'Project Forward 911: AI Innovation in Action' launch
The Milwaukee Department of Emergency Communications held a news conference on Wednesday, Jan. 14 to announce the launch of Project Forward 911: AI Innovation in Action.
Bueno said CommsCoach helps the department review more calls with greater consistency and fairness. As a result, he said, it allows supervisors and others to spend more time training staff and less time looking for calls. AI will also be used to create realistic-sounding practice calls during training.
"We can't wait for a particular scenario to emerge that will prove as a training opportunity, so we can create those ourselves so that when they answer the call, they're prepared for any eventuality," Bueno said. "Ultimately, it's about saving lives, it's about improving response time, and it's getting the right help to the right place quickly."
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The contract with CommsCoach costs the city roughly $60,000 per year. The city said Project Forward 911 will evaluate calls to make sure dispatchers are following the best practices, and doing the same with humans would require much more money and staff.
"This is not about replacing people. This is not about removing individuals who do these really, really important jobs in the city of Milwaukee," said Mayor Cavalier Johnson. "Instead, this is about using AI to help train and support human beings so that they can do their best work under, again, some of the most challenging, challenging situations and circumstances for folks relying on city service."
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The Source: FOX6 News received information from the Milwaukee Department of Emergency Communications and heard from city officials at Wednesday's news conference.