Understaffed 911 Centers Turn to AI to Handle ‘Non-Emergency’ Calls
Aurelian, an AI voice assistant startup, has raised $14 million in funding to help understaffed 911 call centers manage “non-emergency” calls more efficiently.
911 Call Center
FCC Chair Brandon Carr Proposes Exploration of Alternatives to GPS, 911 Enhancements
In a recent blog post, Federal Communications Commission (FCC) chair Brendan Carr outlined plans to vote on several proposals aimed at improving the reliability and accuracy of critical technologies, including GPS and 911 emergency services.
Tech Fail: Massachusetts 911 System Suffers Statewide Outage Caused by Malfunctioning Firewall
On Tuesday afternoon, Massachusetts experienced a statewide disruption in its emergency calling system, caused by a malfunctioning firewall from the state’s 911 vendor, Comtech.
Dallas Hit by Ransomware Attack Disrupting Key Services Including 911 Dispatch
Dallas, Texas, is grappling with a ransomware attack that has caused widespread service outages and impacted critical systems, including 911 dispatch services. The Royal ransomware gang has claimed responsibility for the cyber attack, which has left the Texas city scrambling to restore services and assess the full extent of the damage.
Thanks, Apple: Colorado Emergency Services Bombarded with Automated 911 Calls from Skiers’ iPhones
Dispatchers at the Summit County 911 Center have reportedly been fielding huge numbers of automated notifications from local skiers’ iPhones and Apple Watches at the county’s four ski areas last weekend. New iPhones feature “crash detection” and “fall detection” that automatically call 911 when the device thinks its user has been in a car wreck or other accident, which skiing apparently sets off as well.
911 Services Went Down for Up to an Hour Across 14 States on Monday
Emergency 911 services in 14 states went down temporarily on Monday, putting lives at risk. Some argue that the outages, which lasted for up to an hour, were caused by technical issues at Microsoft, which provides communications products used by emergency service departments. Others believe that the shutdown was caused by an issue with an emergency telephone service called Intrado.
Pro-Life Operation Rescue Challenges ‘Safe’ Abortion Claim: 100 Emergencies in 2019
Pro-life Operation Rescue has released a video documenting 100 medical emergencies at abortion clinics in 2019.
Report: Dispatch Supervisor Watching Netflix Sends Police 30 Minutes Late
An internal report from the Coral Springs Police Department in Florida indicates officers were over 30 minutes late to a June 9, 2019, shooting because a 911 call center supervisor was watching Netflix.
AT&T Hit with $5.25 Million Fine for 911 Outages
AT&T has been hit with a $5.25 million fine from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) over several 911 emergency line outages in 2017.
LISTEN: Son Shoots, Kills Home Intrusion Suspect While Mother Talks to 911
As a 56-year-old Akron, Ohio, mother talked to a 911 dispatcher, her son could be heard in the background firing two shots at an alleged home intruder.
Report: 911 Call Centers Falling Prey to Hackers Demanding Ransom
911 call centers are becoming increasingly vulnerable to hackers, who shut down the centers’ systems before demanding a ransom, according to a report.
