AI helps train Weber area 911 dispatchers

OGDEN — Artificial intelligence is helping train new 911 emergency dispatchers who cover Weber and Morgan counties.

The area's dispatch center recently started using the program known as Comms Coach, made by GovWorx. Dispatch Manager Tim Lewis said the system's AI can pose as a caller, taking dispatchers through a wide array of scenarios.

"We can work them through every medical call type, every fire call type, every law call type," Lewis explained. "It answers your questions and allows you to enter at a pace that they're capable of."

As Lewis demonstrated to KSL-TV on Monday, Comms Coach can also add noises and interruptions, like someone breaking into a residence during a call, or a suspect running away, making it more versatile than having another employee pose as the caller.

"I was blown away by what it's able to do when I first saw it," Lewis said.

In addition to aiding with training, Comms Coach now monitors every call that goes through the 911 center, instantly generating audio files, transcriptions and an overall score for each call.

"This allows us to look at big picture and see trends on how we're doing in areas where we need to improve," Lewis said. "We've just made huge strides in what we're able to do, and we only anticipate that's going to get to be a lot more moving forward."

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