About
Cowlitz 911 is the PSAP for Cowlitz County, Washington. Their team handles emergency response and general inquiries for the county’s thirteen law enforcement, fire, and medical response agencies.
Challenge
Call Volume Stretched Dispatcher Capacity
As the sole PSAP for their county, Cowlitz 911 regularly handles high call volumes. Every day, they respond to hundreds of emergency situations and field nearly twice as many non-urgent requests. While Michelle Arrowsmith, Operations Manager, knew her team could manage the workload, she also wanted to give them breathing room between calls.
“Our dispatchers are constantly toggling between phone lines to stay on top of critical inquiries,” Michelle shares. On top of that, several county agencies forward after-hours calls to Cowlitz. As a result, much of her team’s time was spent addressing routine questions.
That workload only intensified during peak periods. Complaints about fireworks flooded the lines around public holidays. Storms, extreme heat, and power outages brought similar spikes. For a lean team like Michelle’s, these swings put dispatchers at risk of burnout.
And soon, that pressure began to take its toll. New dispatchers, already juggling multiple demands, reached capacity faster than expected. As the Fourth of July approached—Cowlitz’s busiest day of the year—Michelle started looking for a solution that could ease call demand for her team.
She evaluated several vendors, but none delivered the responsive platform support or technical capability her team needed. “We wanted something that fit seamlessly into our workflows, especially since our CAD system has limited integrations,” she explains. “Otherwise, dispatchers would be spending time manually entering call details to dispatch every field unit.”
That’s when MACC 911, another dispatch center in Washington, pointed her to Aurelian. The AI-powered platform had freed up MACC 911’s team from repetitive, non-urgent calls, so Michelle pitched the solution to her team. By the end of Aurelian's demo, every team member was on board—even those who were initially skeptical about AI.
Solution
AI Voice Assistance Reduces Non-Emergency Workload
With Aurelian’s hands-on guidance, Michelle quickly connected Cowlitz 911’s non-emergency phone lines to the platform. Working with the center’s IT department, Aurelian’s team also integrated the solution directly with their current CAD system. With this new setup in place, Michelle’s dispatchers had an AI voice assistant fielding non-emergencies just in time for the Fourth of July.
The team noticed the difference immediately. Instead of switching focus across back-to-back calls, dispatchers could step back and reset between emergencies. As Michelle highlights, “Every person working during that period was impressed—they could take a break for the first time during a surge event.”
That breathing room became the new normal. Now, all of Cowlitz’s non-emergency calls filter through Aurelian, which captures detailed notes for easy reviews. That way, Michelle’s team stays focused on critical incidents and reduces the mental load that used to stretch them thin. When an incident requires a field response, dispatchers push call details to their CAD system with a single click.
Aurelian doesn’t just support Michelle’s team—it also improves the caller experience. During high-volume periods, dispatchers move quickly to keep lines clear and responses timely. But Aurelian’s voice assistant has unlimited time, allowing callers to fully express their concerns without rushing them. The AI listens, asks natural follow-up questions, and delivers a level of attentive service that's difficult to sustain during peak call periods.
To keep every interaction sharp, Aurelian sends a brief SMS survey to every caller. This feedback helps Cowlitz 911’s team refine call scripts, adjust routing logic, and evolve the system as caller needs change.
What won Michelle over wasn’t just the platform—it was the partnership behind it. Aurelian collaborates directly with dispatchers, answering questions and identifying new ways to optimize their workflows. Between these hands-on sessions, fast email responses and regular check-ins keep Cowlitz 911’s operations running smoothly.
And by staying close to the team, Aurelian consistently delivers quick, targeted enhancements. For instance, they auto-generate call summaries to match the dispatchers’ natural writing style, making reviews faster and more intuitive.
Results
Lengthy Routine Calls Reviewed in Minutes
With Aurelian absorbing non-emergency inquiries, Cowlitz 911 avoids the constant gear-shifting that once strained their team. At the same time, they deliver consistent, attentive service regardless of the call volume.
In a field where technology is adopted and vetted cautiously, Aurelian proves that new solutions can strengthen daily operations—and Cowlitz’s team is now exploring even more ways to modernize.
Looking ahead, Michelle sees Aurelian as a solution that can scale with her team. New dispatchers will be onboarded with Aurelian as part of their standard workflow, setting them up for a successful, long-lasting career.
