D.C. 911 Calls Answered Within Five Seconds With IBM Call Center Solution

D.C. 911 Calls Answered Within Five Seconds With IBM Call Center Solution

Emergency responders can now answer calls for help from city residents within five seconds with a new integrated phone system designed, developed and installed by IBM (NYSE: IBM). With the new Unified Communications Center 99.7 percent of emergency calls are answered within five seconds with most calls answered in less than one second. That compares to a national average of about 10 seconds.

The new center integrates emergency call centers for D.C. police, fire, rescue and emergency responders and can handle an estimated 2.65 million calls a year. “In our business, wasted time can be life-threatening,” said E. Michael Latessa, director of the District’s Unified Communication Center. “This integrated system eliminates the need to transfer calls between agencies, so we’re able to save time, reduce the potential for errors and dispatch first responders more quickly and efficiently.”

The center also will house contact center agents who answer a non-emergency “Action Line” for Mayor Anthony Williams, as well as the general 311 information line called by city residents with questions or concerns, ranging from where to renew a driver’s license to how to locate a towed vehicle. While the new communications system features improved performance, it also has new capabilities, like caller identification and location information. The new system automatically identifies callers and their location when they place a 911 call, even if they’re calling from a wireless device, like a cell phone. This new capability makes it easier to quickly dispatch appropriate personnel to respond to an emergency.

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