Alarm Calls Are Not ‘Nonemergencies’ — Why 911 Centers Must Rethink Automation and Embrace ASAP Service

In today’s emergency communications landscape, staffing shortages, skyrocketing call volumes, and increasing public expectations are driving Emergency Communication Centers (ECCs) to seek innovative solutions. Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools and Interactive Voice Response (IVR) systems are often seen as lifelines, offering a way to handle nonemergency calls efficiently, freeing telecommunicators to handle the highest-priority incidents.

But what happens when automation becomes a barrier to timely emergency response? Then it’s time to embrace ASAP Service, which leverages the Automated Secure Alarm Protocol (ASAP).

AI-enabled IVR systems:  a double-edged sword?

Many ECCs are implementing AI-enabled IVR systems to better manage scarce resources. The move toward automation has merit. ECC directors and personnel are operating in a well-documented and persistent staffing crisis. Many centers are forced to juggle high workloads with limited personnel, and automation provides a form of relief — just not for everything.

AI-enabled IVR systems effectively handle administrative inquiries and public information requests and can generate routine reports. However, their use introduces a critical flaw regarding time-sensitive notifications from alarm-monitoring companies.

Many companies need to report alarms via designated non-emergency phone lines. Solutions exist now that handle these calls in many instances by IVRs, extending what used to be a one-minute call-entry process to more than six minutes. This is due to an IVR system’s intrinsic inability to quickly capture and verify critical information, such as the incident address. This delay is more than inconvenient—it can be catastrophic.

Alarm activations often represent active threats to life or property. When a response to them is delayed by automation not configured to recognize or prioritize them, the entire public-safety response is compromised.

But the issue isn’t with IVR technology itself. It’s with how it's deployed.

A better way

Treating all calls that arrive at the ECC via nonemergency phone lines as nonurgent overlooks critical use cases like alarm events. Alarm systems are designed to detect intrusions or hazards in real-time and carry Alarm Validation Scoring Standard (TMA-AVS-01) alarm levels 3 and 4. These levels denote high-priority events requiring immediate response due to potential threats to life or property. Any delay in processing these critical alerts — especially when caused by an automated menu or bot — can prove costly.

AI scripts and bots today are improving, but most still lack the nuance and contextual awareness needed to process alarm information quickly and accurately. They cannot easily or quickly verify locations, parse AVS-01 levels, gather complex site details, or validate the full scope of a threat in real-time, the way a trained 911 professional can.

ASAP Service: The future-proof solution

There is a better way — and it’s already here.

The ASAP Service leverages the Automated Secure Alarm Protocol (ASAP), developed collaboratively by The Monitoring Association (TMA) and public-safety experts, as well as TMA-AVS-01. ASAP Service truly is a game-changer. It completely bypasses the traditional voice-call process, providing a secure, digital, and two-way interface between alarm-monitoring companies and ECCs.

With ASAP Service:

• Alarm data is transmitted instantly, electronically, and with full context.
• 911 telecommunicators receive structured, accurate information without human-introduced relay errors.
• Alarms are handled in seconds — not minutes — ensuring faster and more effective emergency response.

For ECCs that aren’t ASAP-ready, a critical interim step is configuring IVRs to detect and route alarm-monitoring company calls directly to live personnel. This straightforward change ensures essential alarm activations get the human attention they deserve.

A call to action

Mission Critical Partners urges ECC directors, managers, and telecommunicators to view alarm notifications not as “routine” but as mission-critical transmissions that deserve immediate prioritization.

Let’s not allow automation to become an obstacle to public safety. Instead, let’s apply it strategically, reserving AI and IVR tools for true low-priority interactions, while empowering more efficient, digital, and prioritized workflows for high-impact alarm events.

By championing protocols like ASAP and standards like TMA-AVS-01, ECCs can embrace innovation without compromising the core mission: protecting lives and property through timely, accurate emergency communications.

John Chiaramonte is president of MCP’s consulting division. Email him at JohnChiaramonte@MissionCriticalPartners.com.