Halton Police Deploy GovWorx AI to Screen and Train 911 Dispatchers
AI-generated image · Bay Street Wire
The Ontario police force is using American technology to simulate emergency calls, claiming it cuts candidate evaluation time by 50 percent.
Halton Regional Police Service (HRPS) in Ontario has implemented artificial intelligence to streamline the recruitment and training of 911 call takers and dispatchers. According to reporting from Global News Toronto and CityNews Toronto, the force is using technology from American firm GovWorx to create realistic emergency call simulations.
Brian Dodd, the 911 communications bureau manager for Halton police, told CityNews Toronto that the tool helps the department "thin the herd" of applicants—noting that 1,400 people applied for a recent communicator position. Dodd told Global News Toronto that the force has faced a staffing crisis because some hires do not succeed in a training process that can last nearly a year. HRPS reports that the GovWorx AI reduces candidate evaluation time by 50 percent.
The simulations are designed to hone crisis management and communication skills by incorporating background noises, such as explosions or fire alarms, before trainees enter a real-life environment. Dodd told Global News Toronto that the technology will also be used to evaluate the work of employees after they are hired.
In addition to the GovWorx tool, HRPS utilizes SARA AI to handle non-emergency calls. According to Global News Toronto, SARA AI has answered 95,367 calls so far this year and spent 1,195 hours interacting with residents. Dodd told Global News Toronto that this has reduced 911 wait times by nearly two seconds per call, helping the force meet the North American standard of answering 90 percent of emergency calls within 15 seconds. Dodd clarified to CityNews Toronto that AI is not used to answer actual 911 emergency calls.