Matthew Busa, Manager, Ecosystem Demonstrations Technology Team at Motorola Solutions talks about how integrated incident intelligence could reshape fire and rescue work.
Fire services today manage far more than just fire and water; they are the front line for a society in flux.
Incoming calls to US fire departments have more than doubled since 2000 – a surge driven not just by population growth, but by the compounding pressures of aging infrastructure, urban density and a volatile climate.
The pressure on fire and rescue services has never been higher and their limited workforce has followed other emergency services in adopting intelligent technologies to bridge the supply-and-demand gap. When information pipelines are fragmented among 9-1-1 operators, command center and building information systems, fire services need to be able to unite disparate data to create a more cohesive picture of an incident.
Emergency services respond to a fire approximately every 23 seconds in the US. That is a lot of information routed through operators and command centers and a blaze is rarely static. Details change regularly, and between reliance on verbal reports and manual logging, it’s not uncommon for miscommunications to result in injury or complications. NIOSH Firefighter Fatality Investigation Reports frequently mention that dispatch descriptions did not accurately convey the conditions of a fire, including building occupancy, layout and additional hazards.
Dispatch and incident information can be dramatically improved by AI-assisted call agents that can instantly provide additional context, clarity and information about an emergency. Prior call history, known premise or hazard information and unit recommendations are just some ways AI can be exceptionally helpful to the dispatcher.
Couple this with the demand that dispatch times be reduced so that wheels can start moving to the scene faster and these agents can drastically help reduce:
Add to this the strain on response coordinators from false alarms, fire alarm activations and manual detail verification and the benefits of purposefully and responsibly applying AI become clear.
Recent developments in AI agents have proven effective in reducing the workload on 9-1-1 operators by automatically translating and transcribing calls, as well as flagging keywords. This technology benefits all emergency services that share command centers, but it is far from the only integrated solution used by fire and rescue teams:
It’s important to note that IoT distribution and smart city initiatives refine and enhance emergency response in metropolitan areas.” It’s important to note that IoT distribution and smart city initiatives refine and enhance emergency response in metropolitan areas. This is not the case everywhere, as fire departments across the country are responsible for isolated areas and rural communities that are populated by older buildings and outdated infrastructure.
Integrated technology still has a place in these locations. Data on past incidents and emerging trends can help emergency services proactively educate residents about the most pressing threats and AI image analysis uses satellite imagery and weather data to predict wildfire movement.
Emergency services function as a cohesive unit, with 64% of fire department calls involving a request for emergency medical services. These coordinated responses expand the range of assistance available in an emergency but also introduce additional complexity.
Issues become apparent early: incomplete information intake, ambiguous details provided by an understandably stressed caller and the need to convey information across multiple agencies can introduce delays and miscommunication. Information decay is a significant barrier to effective coordination, which AI can help address.
The responsible use of AI in fire and rescue could help reshape the industry’s work. Faster vehicles and more powerful hoses might help fight an individual fire, but these structural changes equip agencies with the tools to do more, faster and more efficiently.
