Hamilton County’s plan to let an artificial-intelligence system pick up non-emergency calls is on ice after 911 communications officers hit pause with a cease-and-desist letter and a warning that the move violates their labor contract.
The fight boils down to this: County leaders want faster response times and less time on hold. The union wants a say in how any AI lands in their call center, and they are not shy about demanding it.
Union Says County Jumped The Gun
The union representing communications officers told the county to stop what it called the "unilateral implementation" of the new call-handling software and to start collective bargaining by July 7, according to WCPO. Until that happens, they argue, the county is changing working conditions without required negotiations.
County officials have stayed quiet on the bargaining details but confirmed the rollout is on hold while the labor dispute plays out.
Communications Director Andy Knapp stressed that "Our top priority is public safety," and said any AI tool under consideration would be limited to non-emergency lines so human dispatchers can stay focused on true emergencies, according to a statement to WCPO. Knapp also emphasized that extensive testing and training would be required before anything goes live.
What The Vendor Says
Seattle-based Aurelian, the company behind the system, describes its assistant Ava as a conversational agent that answers calls, collects basic information from non-emergency callers, routes those reports to the right department, and immediately bumps anything that sounds like an emergency over to a live dispatcher. As laid out by Aurelian, the company says Ava is already in use at dozens of agencies and is designed to cut hold times while easing administrative work for staff.
Where The Tech Is Already In Use
Hamilton County is not the first jurisdiction to test AI at the front end of public-safety calls.
Snohomish County, Washington, has added an AI "copilot" to its operation and reports that its Ava deployment handled tens of thousands of non-emergency contacts last year, according to Axios.
Regional coverage also notes that smaller counties, including Grand Traverse County, have piloted Ava on non-emergency lines while they watch how it performs and check its accuracy in real-world use. Reporting from 9&10 News shows those launches have relied on defined trial periods and hands-on training for staff.
Union Concerns And Bargaining Questions
The Hamilton County union is treating the AI proposal as a clear change to workplace conditions that triggers bargaining obligations under its collective-bargaining agreement. Members have raised questions about job duties, oversight of the technology, and how calls would be split between humans and software.
For now, the county has tapped the brakes on implementation while leaders and communications officers sort through the union’s demand to negotiate and spell out exactly how the system would be used.
What Comes Next
Public-safety experts say the coding is usually the easy part, getting people to trust and work with new tools is where things get tricky. A recent training session from APCO highlighted that change management, not just the tech itself, can make or break AI projects in emergency communications centers.
APCO International points to pilot programs, clearly mapped workflows, and early, transparent communication with staff as key steps to any rollout. Those are now front-and-center issues in Hamilton County as officials and the union weigh whether a negotiated pilot can thread the needle between efficiency goals and front-line workers’ concerns.
