Intelligent Virtual Agents (IVAs) in Public Safety: Enhancing Call-Taker Efficiency and Reducing Employee Burnout
September 26th, 2024
Written by Lada Kozachok, Marketing Specialist
In many communities, 911 is seen as the universal point of contact for all types of assistance, whether it be life-threatening emergencies or more routine issues such as noise complaints, pest control, or public service queries.
This broad public perception creates significant challenges for Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs), which are tasked with managing both emergency and non-emergency calls in real-time. Every call requires quick and accurate assessment, but when non-emergency queries flood the lines, it strains the resources of 911 centers.
Dispatchers and operators must constantly balance these competing demands, which can lead to slower response times for critical emergencies, higher error rates, and a growing risk of burnout among staff. The influx of non-urgent calls makes it difficult for operators to focus their attention where it matters most—on life-saving emergencies. This dual responsibility not only impacts the efficiency of public safety operations but also increases stress on staff, which can affect long-term retention and operational effectiveness.
Fortunately, technology offers a solution. Intelligent Virtual Agents (IVAs) are designed to step in and help manage non-emergency calls, allowing human operators to focus on urgent matters.
In this blog, we’ll break down how IVAs work, address common pain points, and show how they can make a difference in public safety organizations like yours.
What Are Intelligent Virtual Agents?
Intelligent Virtual Agents (IVAs) are AI-powered tools designed to handle human-like interactions with callers. These systems can engage in conversations, answer routine questions, and guide callers to the correct resources based on their needs.
Unlike traditional automated systems, IVAs have advanced capabilities, such as language processing, real-time data collection, and integration with CRM systems. This allows IVAs to function as virtual assistants, automating non-emergency calls, reducing the workload for human operators, and improving the overall caller experience.
For instance, imagine a caller reaches out to report a non-urgent issue:
IVA: “Thank you for calling. How may I assist you today?”
Caller: “There’s a dead animal on the side of the road near my house. Can someone come clean it up?”
IVA: “Thank you for the information. I can notify the appropriate department. May I please confirm your location?”
Caller: “[Provides address].”
IVA: “Thank you. I’ve logged your request and sent it to the city’s maintenance department. You should expect the issue to be addressed within 24 hours. Is there anything else I can help you with today?”
In this example, the IVA uses natural language processing to understand the caller’s request, collects relevant data like location, and routes the issue directly to the correct department—all without human intervention. This reduces the strain on human operators, who can then focus on more critical calls, while ensuring the caller’s needs are met promptly and efficiently.
Emergency vs. Non-Emergency Calls
In a 911 center setting, Intelligent Virtual Agents (IVAs) can significantly improve efficiency by handling non-emergency calls, allowing human operators to focus on critical emergencies. Here’s how this process works:
Call Classification: The initial call is answered by a human operator who determines if the situation is an emergency or non-emergency based on the caller’s responses. If it’s a non-emergency, the call is handed off to the IVA for further handling. The IVA then uses Natural Language Processing (NLP) and machine learning to gather more details from the caller, ensuring that non-emergency cases are managed accurately and efficiently.
Emergency Handling: For emergencies, the human operator continues to manage the situation, utilizing their training to respond quickly and appropriately. This ensures that urgent calls receive immediate attention without any delay.
Non-Emergency Handling by IVAs: Once the call is classified as non-emergency, the IVA takes over. It can manage situations such as noise complaints or inquiries about public services by offering automated responses or routing the call to a specialized non-emergency department. This process ensures that human staff remain focused on critical tasks, while non-emergency calls are addressed promptly and effectively. For example, Wilmac Technologies’ IVA solutions are specifically designed to streamline this process in 911 centers, ensuring non-emergency calls are handled efficiently (Transform911).
By integrating IVAs into 911 centers, the burden on human operators is reduced, ensuring quicker response times for emergencies and improving overall operational efficiency and caller experience.
Why IVAs Are the Right Tool for You
If your public safety organization is overwhelmed by non-emergency calls and is struggling to efficiently manage emergency responses, Intelligent Virtual Agents (IVAs) are a game-changing solution. Traditional methods that rely on manual call handling lead to exhausted employees, slower response times, and a higher chance of mistakes. By automating routine tasks, IVAs alleviate these challenges, allowing your staff to focus on critical emergencies.
High Volumes of Non-Emergency Calls
Public safety organizations often deal with a mix of emergency and non-emergency requests, with non-urgent inquiries consuming valuable time. IVAs can step in by handling these non-emergency calls, such as requests for public services or complaints. This automated process ensures that non-emergency calls are resolved quickly and efficiently, without requiring human intervention.
Use Case Example: A government agency utilizing IVAs reported significant improvements in handling municipal services and community resource requests. With the help of natural language processing, the IVA can quickly determine the nature of the call and route it appropriately, reducing the strain on human operators while enhancing overall efficiency (Five9).
Employee Burnout and High Turnover
The stress of managing a high volume of calls can lead to operator burnout and high staff turnover. IVAs lighten this load by taking over repetitive, non-urgent calls, allowing human operators to concentrate on emergencies. This helps to reduce stress and improve job satisfaction.
Use Case Example: A Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) integrated an IVA solution to manage non-emergency calls, such as noise complaints or parking violations. By handling these repetitive interactions, the IVA allowed the PSAP operators to concentrate on urgent emergency calls, significantly reducing stress levels and improving overall service efficiency (Five9).
Inefficiency in Managing Emergency Responses
When overwhelmed by non-emergency calls, dispatchers may struggle to manage urgent situations effectively. IVAs ensure that only the most critical calls reach human operators, improving response times for emergencies.
Use Case Example: In an emergency services context, IVA solution was integrated into a 911 center to automatically route non-emergency calls, allowing dispatchers to focus on life-threatening situations. The IVA provided instant responses to non-critical queries, ensuring quicker handling without impacting emergency call management (Five9).
How can IVAs boost your 911 Center?
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The Role of IVAs in Enhancing Public Safety Call Management
Public safety organizations dealing with high call volumes and a mix of emergency and non-emergency requests can significantly benefit from Intelligent Virtual Agents. Here are some of the key benefits that IVAs can provide:
Better Management of Non-Emergency Calls: By automating responses to routine queries, IVAs allow human operators to focus on life-saving emergencies.
Decreased Workload: With IVAs handling non-emergency calls, human call takers and dispatchers experience reduced workloads, helping to prevent burnout and turnover.
Improved Caller Experience: IVAs provide immediate responses to non-emergency queries, reducing wait times and improving the overall satisfaction of those seeking assistance.
Consistent Information Delivery: Automated systems ensure that callers always receive consistent and accurate information, minimizing the risk of human error.
Cost Savings: By automating routine tasks, public safety organizations can reduce the need for additional staffing, saving valuable resources. Instant Responses: Callers receive instant answers to common questions, enhancing the speed and efficiency of non-emergency services.
Taking the Next Step with Intelligent Virtual Agents
Integrating Intelligent Virtual Agents into your public safety organization is more than just adopting a new technology—it’s about creating a sustainable future for your team and your community. With IVAs, you gain the ability to streamline operations, reduce burnout, and improve overall efficiency. The transition doesn’t have to be complex, either. IVAs are designed to seamlessly integrate with your current systems, providing immediate support to your call center staff without disrupting emergency operations.
By incorporating IVAs, you can set your organization on a path toward operational excellence, where every call—whether emergency or non-emergency—receives prompt, consistent, and accurate responses. This results in a better experience for both callers and staff.
Is your public safety organization ready for the future? Consider implementing IVAs today and see how they can help elevate your team’s performance, reduce stress, and provide a higher level of service to your community.
Conclusion
Intelligent Virtual Agents are a game-changing technology for public safety organizations. By handling non-emergency calls with ease and efficiency, they reduce the burden on human operators, improve the overall quality of service, and create a more sustainable working environment for your team. IVAs are the tool that can help you address common pain points, including high call volumes, employee burnout, and inconsistent information delivery, while also providing significant cost savings. Now is the time to consider integrating IVAs into your public safety operations to ensure that your team is focused on what matters most—saving lives.
