Brussels, 5 December 2024
The European Emergency Number Association (EENA) proudly announces the successful completion of its AI Special Project. Launched in 2023, this initiative explored the transformative potential of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) in enhancing the quality of emergency services provided to citizens across Europe.
Over the past year, four corporate members – Augmented Hearing, Gladia, Cestel and LiveReader – that develop AI solutions joined forces with forward-thinking Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs) from eight countries (Finland, Sweden, Germany, Czechia, Spain, Portugal, Italy, North Macedonia) to pilot cutting-edge AI solutions. The project focused on three critical areas of application:
- Language detection, translation, and transcription: Providing real-time support for multilingual call handling.
- Triage and prioritisation: Supporting the work of call-takers and enhancing the efficiency of emergency call management.
- Noise cancellation: Ensuring call clarity even in noisy environments.
The pilot programmes tested technologies such as real-time call translation and transcription, audio synthesis, contextual recommendations for call-takers, and noise reduction filters. These tools aimed to streamline call handling, enhance operator performance, reduce stress for emergency responders, and accelerate response times — ultimately saving lives.
Key insights and recommendations
The EENA AI Special Project demonstrated the potential for AI to transform PSAP operations, highlighting increased efficiency in call processing, improved call clarity, and enhanced decision-making for emergency services. Call transcripts created by the tools of the pilot programs could be used as a basis for real-time analysis by other AIs in the future, multiplying their potential benefits for PSAPs.
However, challenges remain. Sharing the country- and language-specific data necessary to train the AI solutions raises concerns for data security, for example. The project emphasized the importance of fostering collaboration between PSAPs and technology developers, with a special focus on:
- Transparent and secure data-sharing practices to address privacy concerns and regulatory variations.
- Close collaboration during pilot projects to ensure AI solutions align with operational needs and are continuously improved based on real-time feedback.
- Trust-building measures to enhance confidence in the reliability and safety of AI-powered systems.
A comprehensive analysis of the project, including detailed findings and lessons learned, is available in the EENA AI Special Project Final Report.
What’s Next?
Building on the momentum of this successful initiative, EENA remains committed to exploring the role of AI in emergency services, encouraged by the project partners. EENA will continue to champion innovation and collaboration, ensuring that AI-powered solutions deliver life-saving benefits while meeting the highest standards of safety and efficiency.
The findings of the AI Special Project were presented today, 5th of December 2024, during EENA’s NG112 & AI Days Event in Tenerife. The topic of AI in emergency services will also be discussed at EENA’s Annual Conference in Helsinki, in April 2025.