In today’s world, headline-grabbing emergencies are happening more frequently in more places. It’s hard to watch television, listen to the radio, or read a news article without learning about another incident impacting communities. As I’m writing this, news of a deadly explosion in Beirut is breaking around the world.
Whether it’s an explosion, bombing, mass shooting, or smaller events like coordinated thefts across a city, there’s a need for clear, immediate insights. But, unfortunately, responders often have little lead time and real-time information, making complex emergencies even more challenging and disruptive.
We at Hexagon wanted to do something to fix this, and we have! Today, I’m pleased to announce the launch of HxGN OnCall Dispatch | Smart Advisor, the industry’s first assistive artificial intelligence (AI) technology designed to work within dispatch software to help public safety agencies detect and respond to complex emergencies sooner.
Why do public safety agencies need assistive AI?
When complex emergencies occur, anyone working in a public safety agency knows relevant information trickles in. Crucial insights can be hidden in the noise or spread across systems and departments. Even members of the same team may hold different fragments of information.
These fragments need to be filtered and pieced together to understand the magnitude and nature of what’s happening, but it’s often impossible to see the big picture until it’s too late to act. A sad example is the 2019 Christchurch shootings in New Zealand that were over in less than 20 minutes.
It’s those types of situations that are keeping agency supervisors and directors up at night. Many agencies have analytics solutions that mine data and give clarity to past events in order to prepare for the future. But having crucial information to understand what is happening in the here and now is currently a missing piece.
In complex, fast-moving situations, even a single timely insight can be a game-changer. That pressing need for timely insights is what drove us to create Smart Advisor.
What is HxGN OnCall Dispatch | Smart Advisor?
Smart Advisor uses AI, advanced statistics, and machine learning (ML) to continually analyze operational data in real-time to fill operational blind spots, enabling responders to act sooner and be better informed.
For example, when it detects similarities and anomalies across calls for service, it alerts agencies to the potential onset of complex emergencies, from large, rapid-onset events to smaller linked incidents. By detecting patterns and connections sooner, agencies can act faster and coordinate smarter to reduce the impact on communities, resources, and staff.
How does it work?
Smart Advisor works within Hexagon’s industry-leading, next-generation computer-aided dispatch (CAD) solutions to deliver continual, autonomous assessments across the entire pool of live and recent events. It works behind the scenes and only alerts the user when a situation is detected. That makes working with Smart Advisor more efficient, effective, and scalable than manual monitoring of videos, alarms, and common operating pictures alone and reduces overreliance on contextual searches. Additionally, it reduces the burden on staff by acting as a second set of eyes during evolving, high pressure situations.
Most importantly, with Smart Advisor, the user is always in control; no decision or action is automated. When notified, users can assess the alert and decide whether to act on, share, or dismiss it. By detecting more crucial connections sooner, public safety agencies are better equipped to create safer, more resilient communities for citizens.
Learn more
Complex emergencies can be devastating to communities and greatly impact PSAP capacity and performance. With Smart Advisor, public safety agencies can detect and respond to complex events earlier, helping them better contain the adverse effects.
To learn more about how assistive AI can help your agency see the unseen, visit the HxGN OnCall Dispatch | Smart Advisor webpage.
