The Jonesboro 911 Dispatch Center has introduced a groundbreaking new tool to help train its recruits. The center is now using artificial intelligence to generate simulated emergency calls, providing new dispatchers with opportunities to practice handling crises in a realistic and controlled environment.
The platform creates scenarios using real addresses, landmarks, and plausible emergencies, while also adapting to how the trainee responds. Additionally, the system can replicate emotional tones, simulating the stress and urgency often present in real emergency situations.
“I’ve even done a few of them myself and could hear that caller sound like they were starting to panic,” said Cristy Hundley, the center’s training coordinator.
Feedback from trainees has reportedly been highly positive. Hundley revealed plans to integrate the simulator further by making it available at dispatch desks, allowing recruits to practice during downtime on the job.
“By the end of the week, I will have microphones over in dispatch so that when there’s a little bit of downtime, they can get those microphones out and actually do them at their desk in the actual center,” Hundley explained.
This development marks a significant step for the Jonesboro 911 Dispatch Center in preparing recruits to handle emergency calls with confidence and accuracy before interacting with the public in real-time.