AI on call: George Mason and Fairfax County dial up emergency response

Nathan Kahl — Mon, 25 Nov 2024 13:26:41 +0000

AI on call: George Mason and Fairfax County dial up emergency response Nathan Kahl Mon, 11/25/2024 - 08:26

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When you have a dire emergency you want help from wherever you can get it. Even if it’s from an AI voice assistant.

��AV received a grant of nearly $1 million from the National Institute of Standards and Technology for enhancing emergency response, specifically using artificial intelligence (AI) to improve training and other capabilities of the emergency communication systems in Northern Virginia. The funding was made possible through the efforts of Congressman Gerry Connolly, who sponsored the proposal.

“As we strive to improve our emergency preparedness and response capabilities, it is absolutely critical that we recognize the potential of new and emerging technologies—including AI,” said Connolly. “By utilizing this technology safely and effectively in our public safety systems, we can reduce response times, lighten the workload for 911 call centers and first responders, and better communicate with the community during emergency situations. I am so proud to have secured this important funding, and I look forward to seeing these federal dollars put to good use for the betterment of all of us who call Fairfax County home.”

This work will be performed by George Mason’s transdisciplinary Center for Resilient and Sustainable Communities (C-RASC) team. “This work is only possible by engaging a unique transdisciplinary team representing three different colleges, toward enhancing emergency communications resiliency and effectiveness with AI,” said Paul Houser, C-RASC executive director. “We thank Congressman Connolly and the George Mason transdisciplinary vision for the realization of this project, and look forward to making a difference in Fairfax emergency management and beyond.”

Linton Wells II, executive advisor to the Center for Resilient and Sustainable Communities and to the C5I Center at George Mason, said that the university is actively engaged with the Fairfax County Department of Public Safety and Communications (Fairfax County’s 9-1-1 Center), as well as other emergency management organizations.

Fairfax County's 9-1-1 center receives around 400,000 emergency calls annually. Photo provided by Fairfax County

“We talked to public safety officials around Fairfax and the most receptive entity was the 9-1-1 call center,” he said. “We were invited to join operators on the call center floor and observe them taking calls and dispatching people, which was very impressive. They really are interested in training and would like to spend more time talking to the community about what they do.”

Wells added that AI can improve public safety effectiveness in numerous ways.

“It could help reduce delays in processing calls, enhance caller experiences, and improve dispatching efficiency, for example. The plan is to begin by using it to improve training, which is an excellent place to get immediate gains and learn more about how it best can be used.”

George Mason will work with local communities to make citizens more aware of what’s being done in emergency preparedness and will provide feedback to public safety officials. The technology can also help officials interpret public sentiment as a disaster is occurring, supporting another goal of the project, which is to improve stakeholder engagement and enhancing support to underserved communities.

Karina V. Korostelina, professor and director of the Sustainable Peace Lab at the Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution, said that the university will work with local officials on further outreach and communication efforts in support of the project.

“Our task is to create a systemic community engagement plan that involves Neighborhood and Community Services, Immigration Services, Fairfax County Public Schools and libraries in educating community members about the use of 911 and the role of AI," Korostelina said. "We also will conduct multiple focus groups and townhalls to understand community concerns and facilitate participatory approaches to the improvement of public safety and communications." Her team, which includes PhD student and a post-doc, will implement cutting-edge practices of co-creation and community empowerment to enhance collaboration between communities and government agencies in Fairfax.

Other project investigators from C-RASC and CEC include Kathryn Laskey, professor emerita of Systems Engineering and Operations Research, and Hemant Purohit, associate professor of Information Sciences and Technology, who will closely work with a CEC doctoral student and industry partners to design an AI assistant to enable personalized conversation-based training for call-takers to go through various real-world scenarios at their own pace while accounting for complexities such as varying incident descriptions and multilingual callers.

“Since 9-1-1’s inception in 1968, voice communication has been the cornerstone of 9-1-1 emergency services,” said Andrew Clarke, assistant director of operations in the Department of Public Safety Communications, Fairfax County 9-1-1. “However, with the rise of smartphones, smart homes, and AI, our community has moved beyond traditional voice-based interaction.”

Clarke said this new partnership with George Mason will allow Fairfax County to reimagine workflows, not just improving service, but setting a new benchmark for community engagement. "We are transforming the 9-1-1 landscape to ensure we are as innovative and forward-thinking as the technologies that surround us today.”

Topics

Center for Resilient and Sustainable Communities

Artificial Intellgence

Research

National Institute of Standards and Technology NIST

STAR-TIDES 15th annual capabilities demonstration focuses on sustainable resilience

Colleen Rich — Thu, 14 Apr 2022 18:05:13 +0000

STAR-TIDES 15th annual capabilities demonstration focuses on sustainable resilience Colleen Rich Thu, 04/14/2022 - 14:05

Mason students checking out the exhibits at the STAR-TIDES Capabilities Demonstration on Merten Lawn in 2017. Photo provided

American Internet pioneer Vinton Cerf, ��AV Professor Edward Maibach, and Admiral James Fogo III, USN (Ret.) will provide keynote interviews during the 15th annual STAR-TIDES Capabilities Demonstration, which runs from Monday-Wednesday, April 18-20, at Merten Hall on the Fairfax Campus.

STAR-TIDES (Sharing to Accelerate Research—Transformative Innovation for Development and Emergency Support) is a global knowledge-sharing network coordinated through Mason's Center for Resilient and Sustainable Communities (C-RASC). STAR-TIDES brings together thousands of members from around the world to help build sustainable resilience, support domestic and foreign disaster relief, and promote human security and economic opportunities. Members have also recently formed a team to enhance rural broadband connectivity.

Under the theme of “Sustainable Resilience in a World of Interconnected Disruptions,” this year’s demo returns to a traditional open field that will let exhibitors and attendees have meaningful interactions with companies, government officials, faculty, students, and visitors alike.

“STAR-TIDES is a great opportunity for students and researchers to network with people and organizations devoted to improving resilience and human security by helping communities respond to disasters, adapt to the effects of climate change, improve digital connectivity, and improve health and well-being," said Kathryn B. Laskey, Professor, Systems Engineering and Operations Research, Volgenau School of Engineering, and Director, Center for Resilient and Sustainable Communities, College of Engineering and Computing. "The event will combine open-field exhibits of exciting technologies that help people, along with a set of fantastic keynotes.”

The event also contains three integrating focus areas: Electromagnetic Spectrum (EMS), Logistics in Stressed Environments, and Shelter-in-Place (SIP) Continuity of Operations (COOP). Exhibits will include STAR-TIDES core infrastructure areas such as energy, housing, water, food, information and communications technology, and health, along with transport and logistics, and geospatial information systems.

On April 18 at 4 p.m. in Merten Hall, Room 1201, Mason President Gregory Washington will provide introductory remarks and Vint Cerf will speak on the future of an Internet that works for all. Cerf, often called the “father of the Internet,” also holds an honorary doctor of science from Mason, which he was awarded in 2000. A reception follows at 5 p.m.

On April 19, at 9 a.m., Matthew Morin speaks on cyber resiliency, and at noon Maibach, director of Mason's Center for Climate Change Communication, will talk about climate change communication. Exhibits will be open that day from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. on the Merten Lawn.

On April 20, at 9 a.m., Lt. Col. Robert Darling will speak on crisis leadership, early warning, and mitigation, and at noon Fogo will address the maritime dimensions of STAR-TIDES. Exhibits will be open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the Merten Lawn.

Attendance is free, but people are asked to register by Sunday, April 17, at go.gmu.edu/STreg.

For more information, visit star-tides.net.

Topics

Campus News

Center for Resilient and Sustainable Communities