By Nance Beston, Columbia Basin Herald, Moses Lake, Wash. The Tribune Content Agency

MOSES LAKE - The Multi Agency Communications Center, also known as MACC 911 or just MACC, implemented a new artificial intelligence online system about five months ago for people to submit non-emergency requests online or via phone call to help manage call volumes. The program, AVA, helps MACC staff members focus on answering emergency calls and prioritizing dispatch to those and allows for shorter wait times for both emergency and non-emergency calls.

"AVA solves several primary issues for MACC dispatchers," MACC Technical Services Manager D.T. Donaldson stated in an email to the Columbia Basin Herald. "Prior to AVA, dispatchers frequently placed non-emergency callers on hold to answer 911 calls or to respond to critical radio traffic from law enforcement, firefighters and medical personnel. AVA allows the dispatchers to prioritize the workload by processing requests on the non-emergency line within minutes of the call to AVA, but without requiring the dispatchers to place callers on hold, which often occurred multiple times during a single call."

The system can be reached by calling 509-762-1160 or going to MACC911.org. The technology is bilingual and can take calls in both English and Spanish. According to a release from MACC, AVA is conversational, relevant, detailed and monitored by a live telecommunication.

According to Donaldson, AVA has successfully handled in excess of 30,000 non-emergency service calls since it was implemented in Grant County Memorial Day weekend. He said, while using the average of three minutes per call, the system has freed up around 1,500 hours of phone time for operators. This additional time allows for dispatches to focus on 911 calls and radio traffic, ensuring urgent and life-threatening situations receive immediate attention.

"During AVA's inaugural Memorial Day Weekend, we had a caller with a head injury dial the non-emergency line," Donaldson wrote in an email. "Prior to AVA, this call would likely have been on hold as Memorial Day is one of the busiest days of the year for call volume, but AVA was able to get the caller directly to a dispatcher. In short, AVA helps emergency responders by helping them better respond to those in need."

Moses Lake Police Department released a statement Oct. 10 regarding the new technology saying that it takes time to adapt, the department supports innovation and it can be frustrating to use the new technology. MLPD said for those experiencing issues, the department cannot handle those comments or concerns, so it is important to reach out to MACC staff to address those concerns.

"The reaction from the MACC dispatchers, who are first responders, has been overwhelmingly positive," Donaldson said. "The response from other first responders has been mixed. First responders are learning about the new technology along with the general public."

While community members may have concerns, MACC Technical Services Manager Gerrit Klein said anyone with concerns may contact him directly. The agency has been responsive to social media as time allows.

Donaldson said some users have had frustrating experiences with automated phone services in the past, however, AVA is cutting-edge AI technology to streamline non-emergency phone calls while still allowing for human intervention when needed. AVA is programmed to learn and improve with every interaction.

"One issue we have noticed is that callers tend to treat AVA as if the system were traditional AI rather than conversation AI," Donaldson emailed. "After tens of thousands of calls, we've found that callers will have a better experience if they speak to AVA as if they were speaking with a person."

Donaldson also explained that in some conversations with loud background noise, AVA will pause and take longer to process information by a couple of seconds. He said some callers have hung up from the delayed responses. This issue is currently being addressed and MACC is working on new AI Models that will reduce processing time.

"After tens of thousands of calls processed through AVA, MACC has received relatively few complaints about the system," Donaldson said. "When we receive a complaint or concern, we address it right away. We regularly monitor calls, and much of the dissatisfaction seems to occur when the callers treat AVA as if the system were traditional AI rather than conversational AI. We have noticed many callers who react with pleasant surprise at the end of their call. As people become more comfortable with conversational AI, and as the underlying technology for conversational AI continues to improve at a rapid pace, the response will get better."

MACC said it had received concerns about the timeliness of situations that feel urgent, and it wants to remind the community to use 911 in emergency situations and that this program is only for non-emergency calls. Some examples given include incidents without injuries, property damage, or other situations that do not pose a threat to life or safety.

Those who have feedback regarding the new system are asked to reach out to Gerrit Klein at [email protected] or D.T. Donaldson at [email protected] with details about the experience including time and phone number so the issue can be addressed effectively.

AVA CONVERSATION SAMPLE:

AVA: "This is a recorded automated assistant. If this is an emergency please hang up and dial 911. Para Español, presione 1. MACC Dispatch, this is Ava. How can I help you?"

Reporting Party: "Hi Ava, I was calling because I found a dog and he's super friendly but I just don't know where he belongs."

AVA: "Let's start by getting the address where you found the dog. Could you please provide that, including any nearby landmarks or businesses."

Reporting Party: "208 South Hamilton Road, Moses Lake, Wash."

AVA: "Thank you, are you currently at the location where you found the dog."

Reporting Party: "Yes."

AVA: "Could you please confirm your phone number for me?"

AVA: "Thank you, Alex Martinez. Can you provide a description of the dog?"

Reporting Party: "It's small, fluffy, black and white. There is no collar but it's really nice."

AVA: "Thank you, Alex. To confirm, you're at 208 South Hamilton Road, Moses Lake and found a small, fluffy, black and white dog with no collar. Your information has been submitted, and someone will review it and follow up if needed. You're free to hang up unless there's anything else you need help with."