Amazon Connect is now handling calls to the Arlington County Emergency Communications Center nonemergency number.
The service started to answer calls to the nonemergency number, 703-558-2222, on June 1, the county government said in a statement.
Emergency calls should still go to 911, where county staff will handle them.
Amazon Connect is a a cloud-based contact center service. It will provide verbal assistance on matters such as car towing inquiries and noise complaints.
The service will be offered in the county’s top five most spoken languages.
The switch “will streamline operations, improve service delivery, and reduce the burden on emergency responders,” the county said in the statement.
“The use of Amazon Connect for non-emergency calls will allow our emergency communications staff to focus on emergencies while providing residents with faster, more efficient, and secure service for nonemergency inquiries,” said William Flagler, director of the Department of Public Safety Communications and Emergency Management.
Eventually, the county said, artificial intelligence will help direct calls and address problems. It added that Amazon Connect will not collect the information of people who call.
Feature image courtesy Less/stock.adobe.com
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