911 in Richland to Use AI for Non-Emergency Calls

Richland residents calling for non-emergency help may soon be answered by artificial intelligence.

The Southeast Communications Dispatch Center is launching a new AI system called Aurelian to help handle routine, non-emergency calls.

Officials say the system can detect urgency in a caller’s voice, gather basic information, and route calls appropriately — while all 911 calls will continue to be answered by trained dispatchers.

The goal is to reduce wait times, keep emergency lines open, and ease dispatcher workloads without replacing human staff.

The system is set to launch Tuesday, January 13.

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