AVAIRY SOLUTIONSWhat Happens When an Emergency Call Comes In on Your Non-Emergency Line?
Every police department that runs a 10-digit non-emergency line already knows this: the call that comes in is not always a barking dog or a tow release. Sometimes it is a medical emergency. Sometimes the caller is afraid. Sometimes nobody speaks at all.
If you are the commander who owns the communications floor, that is the first question you ask when anyone proposes putting AI on that line. What happens when the call is not routine?
I spent just over 14 years in law enforcement full time and another 14 as an auxiliary officer. Dispatchers are never the problem. The shortage is. The non-emergency line still has to be answered, and the person keeping officers safe should not also have to be the records desk. Guardian Switchboard, part of Guardian AI by AVAIRY Solutions, sits in front of your existing numbers so routine work can be handled without taking a dispatcher off an emergency. It does not answer 911.
The call still uses your same number
The caller dials the same 10-digit number they always have. Listed numbers, such as alarm companies, can skip the AI and go straight to dispatch through Direct to Dispatch. Everyone else reaches an AI assistant that answers naturally. There are no phone trees and no menus to press through.
From there, three things can happen:
- A possible emergency or silence goes to a person, mid-conversation.
- A routine question is answered from facts your agency has approved.
- An office request is routed to records, detectives, impound, or another office that should handle it.
The call is documented in the console so your team can review what happened. That review trail matters when command staff asks what the AI did with a given call.
When it must reach a person
These situations always go to a person:
- Crime in progress
- Medical emergency
- Caller in fear
- Silence on the line
- Anyone hurt, threatened, or in danger
When there is any doubt, the call goes to dispatch. That is the design, not a fallback you hope never happens.
About three of every four real conversations still reach dispatch. That is the system doing its job. The AI is there to clear the day-to-day calls that do not need a dispatcher, not to keep emergencies away from your floor.
What Switchboard will not do
Command staff should hear the hard limits up front:
- It does not answer 911.
- It does not say help is on the way.
- It does not send an officer.
- It does not take a report.
- It does not give advice.
- It does not state facts your agency has not approved.
- It does not locate callers.
If a caller asks what they are talking to, it says it is an AI assistant. It protects dispatcher time so your people can stay on emergencies. It does not hire for you, and it will not clear a staffing shortage by itself.
What you can expect in practice
In deployment we have seen an immediate 20-30% drop in calls reaching dispatch. Avon Police Department and Westlake Police Department use Switchboard on their non-emergency lines.
Setup typically takes days, not months. The product sits in front of your existing numbers, so you are not ripping out a phone system to try it. It is multilingual; Spanish is live today. CAD integration is available as a project. Cost details are available on request.
Sensitive police data is stored in AWS GovCloud (US); supporting services run in standard U.S. AWS regions. Our posture is CJIS-aligned. That describes how we build, not a certification by any authority.
Questions worth asking any vendor
- What exactly forces a mid-conversation handoff to a person?
- Can listed numbers skip the AI and ring dispatch directly?
- Where do I review what happened on a call?
- Will this answer 911 or claim help is coming?
- How long does a single-department setup usually take?
If those answers are vague, keep looking. The non-emergency line carries real emergencies often enough that the handoff has to be clear before you put anything in front of it.
A limited number of pilot spots
A limited number of pilot spots are available. Ask if one is open. We will not promise a spot that is not there.
If you want to walk through how Switchboard would sit in front of your numbers, book a 20-minute demo or email contact@avairysolutions.com.
Frequently asked questions
Does Guardian Switchboard answer 911?
No. It sits on your 10-digit non-emergency and department lines. It does not answer 911.
What happens if the caller is having an emergency?
Crime in progress, medical emergencies, callers in fear, silence, and anyone hurt, threatened, or in danger go to a person mid-conversation. When in doubt, the call goes to dispatch.
Does Switchboard take work away from dispatchers?
No. Dispatchers are never the problem. The shortage is. Switchboard handles day-to-day non-emergency calls so dispatchers can focus on emergencies. About three of four real conversations still reach dispatch.
Do we have to change our phone system?
No. Switchboard sits in front of your existing numbers. Setup for a single department typically takes days, not months.
Which departments use Switchboard today?
Avon Police Department and Westlake Police Department use Switchboard on their non-emergency lines.
