- Motorola Solutions uses AI to address 911 emergency call delays and improve response times.
- The Vesta NXT software helps 911 call handlers collect and summarize data for faster communications.
- This article is part of the ‘CXO AI Playbook’: clear conversations from business leaders about how they test and use AI.
Motorola Solutions is a Chicago-based provider of technology and communications solutions focused on public safety and enterprise security. It has approximately 21,000 employees worldwide.
Situation Analysis: What problem was the company trying to solve?
The National Emergency Number Association estimates that 240 million 911 calls are made in the U.S. each year. But fragmented emergency response systems across agencies and organizations can lead to dangerous delays.
“You hope never to call 911, but if you do, it should work,” Jehan Wickramasuriya, corporate vice president of AI and platforms at Motorola Solutions, told Business Insider.
He added that call takers’ jobs can be demanding and unpredictable, and they are often under a lot of pressure. “There can be a high level of stress if there is an active shooter or if there is domestic violence,” he said. “They’re trying to keep a caller calm and at the same time find out if he needs medical attention.” Meanwhile, he said, callers can “talk so fast that it is difficult to understand and remember everything they say.”
Jehan Wickramasuriya is the corporate vice president of AI and platforms at Motorola Solutions. Motorola Solutions
Determining a caller’s location adds an extra layer of complexity. Cellular 911 calls are typically routed based on cell tower location and not the caller’s actual position. This requires calls to be rerouted, which increases response times by several seconds.
“Ultimately it’s a data problem,” says Wickramasuriya, “because there’s a lot of information that needs to be sent on every call.”
Motorola Solutions uses AI to consolidate this data onto one platform.
Key personnel and stakeholders
The company structures its AI research team around specialized AI domains, such as computer vision and speech and audio processing, rather than individual product lines.
Wickramasuriya said the core AI team consisted of about 50 scientists, developers and engineers who work closely with hundreds of product managers, designers and user experience specialists.
Motorola Solutions is also working with several cloud and technology providers on its AI-enabled products and services.
AI in action
In June, Motorola Solutions launched Vesta NXT, software designed to help 911 call handlers manage emergency calls. It brings data from various public safety systems to one platform, allowing handlers to collect and summarize information.
The tool uses AI to surface details including the caller’s location and, for callers who have chosen to share their medical profile from their phone, any underlying health conditions. It can also suggest the best access to a building. “That’s important information for first responders,” Wickramasuriya said.
The software has translation and transcription capabilities, allowing English speakers and non-English speakers to communicate. AI also helps call handlers manage non-emergency calls. By streamlining reporting of issues such as abandoned cars or stolen property, call handlers can focus more on critical emergencies.
Most importantly, AI can improve the human element of emergency response. “AI works in the background to help the caller assist the person on the other end,” Wickramasuriya said.
Did it work, and how did the leaders know?
Motorola Solutions says about 60% of 911 call centers in the U.S. use its call handling software. It is transitioning existing Vesta 911 users to its new system with the AI features.
The company says these AI tools already translate millions of minutes of audio every month and have helped ease the burden of emergency calls, in part by resolving non-emergency calls and connecting callers to other resources.
Lee County is the first Public Safety Answering Point, a call center that handles emergency calls and coordinates responses, to use VESTA NXT. Motorola Solutions said administrators there found the AI-generated searchable text transcripts and real-time summaries of 911 calls that call handlers can share with dispatchers and first responders helped save time and reduce stress for call handlers.
What’s next?
Wickramasuriya said the company was focusing on improving Vesta NXT.
He said the goal was to “extend the usability” of the software by integrating it more deeply into existing workflows, including by developing features that directly connect first responders to dispatchers and call takers.
Another goal, he said, is to help understaffed 911 call centers “understand their staffing needs and identify which callers are dealing with stressful situations and to address stress and fatigue among call handlers.”
