Change will allow dispatchers to focus on emergency calls.
Beginning May 5, La Crosse County Public Safety Communications will implement a new Artificial Intelligence (AI) platform to help manage all non-emergency calls for service. The new system will allow dispatch staff to focus more fully on emergency calls and radio communications.
“This change will not impact staffing levels or reduce the quality-of-service residents and public safety agencies rely on,” said David Steinberg, La Crosse County Public Safety Communications Administrator. “This is about creating more capacity in our system to better serve the community—especially during periods of high call volume.”
The AI platform is designed to efficiently handle routine or non-urgent calls, significantly reducing the workload for dispatchers without compromising service to the public. Last year alone, La Crosse County Public Safety Communications handled approximately 140,000 non-emergency calls. All non-emergency calls to police departments across La Crosse County are routed through the Communications Center, which also provides dispatch and support services for pre-hospital medical, fire, and law enforcement agencies throughout the county.
Steinberg noted that callers will be able to request to speak with a live person at any time. In some cases, if the AI system determines a call should be treated as an emergency, it will automatically transfer the caller to a dispatcher. The system has also undergone several months of intensive training and is proficient in Spanish.
No jobs are being eliminated as a result of this implementation, but the AI platform is expected to help alleviate staffing pressures and improve overall system efficiency.
“Many callers may not even realize they’re speaking with an AI system,” Steinberg said. “The most important takeaway is that this technology will allow our telecommunicators to focus on what they do best—managing 911 emergencies.”