Contact Center Pipeline May 2026 | Page 24

9-1-1

At the same time, decision-making cannot stall [ in these situations ]. If a call raises concerns, the safest course of action is often to dispatch first responders while clearly communicating any uncertainties or risks. Providing response teams with context about suspicious calls allows them to approach situations with greater situational awareness.

Equally important is escalation. 9-1-1 telecommunicators are trained to alert supervisors or managers when something feels off. As the first line of defense, their instincts and experience matter.

When a telecommunicator flags a potential spoofing or deepfake scenario, it is critical that leadership responds quickly, ensuring that all relevant personnel are aware and engaged.

TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS AND AI INTEGRATION

Across the public safety ecosystem, new tools are being introduced to help detect and deter spoofing, swatting, and other criminal abuses. AI is already delivering meaningful benefits within ECCs, but it is not a standalone solution for every situation.

Used correctly, AI acts as a force multiplier. During high-stress calls, AI-enabled applications can surface relevant information, identify anomalies, and suggest follow-up questions or observations.

For example, sentiment analysis and gesture recognition can help identify signs of distress, while IRI analysis can draw attention to background details that a telecommunicator might miss while focusing on the caller.

These insights are valuable, but they are not definitive. Public safety leaders are not advocating for AI to determine whether a call is legitimate on its own. A 9-1-1 telecommunicator’ s experience, intuition, and the situational awareness gained from handling thousands of calls, remain irreplaceable.

24 CONTACT CENTER PIPELINE

Call handling software also provides practical defenses against spoofing, such as location verification tools that help confirm whether a caller’ s reported location aligns with available data.

Over time, these capabilities will continue to mature, but human oversight remains central to ensuring accuracy and accountability.

BUILDING ORGANIZATIONAL RESILIENCE

If there is one consistent lesson across industries adopting disruptive technology, it is that training matters. Training early, often, and inclusively makes the greatest difference between successfully identifying falsified emergencies and accidentally neglecting a real crisis.

That said, technology and training alone are not enough.

Policy coordination plays a critical role in addressing AI-driven threats to 9-1-1 systems. But in many states, 9-1-1 governance is highly decentralized. Home rule structures allow counties or municipalities to make independent decisions, which can complicate efforts to implement consistent safeguards.

While national standards bodies such as the National Emergency Number Association( NENA) and the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials( APCO) provide baseline guidance, how closely that guidance is followed varies.

Funding models further complicate the picture. When ECCs rely primarily on local funding rather than state-level support, implementing advanced defenses against false reports and spoofing becomes more challenging at scale.

One effective approach is the creation of state-level repositories for incident reporting. Encouraging ECCs to document and share spoofing events builds a collective knowledge base that benefits all jurisdictions. These repositories can inform best practices and highlight emerging patterns.

Peer coordination groups, such as statewide 9-1-1 professional associations, also play an important role. By bringing leaders together regularly, these groups enable shared learning and collective problem-solving.

At the federal level, resources from organizations such as SAFECOM and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency( CISA)( whose aegis SAFECOM is under), provide guidance on cybersecurity practices and data hygiene.

White papers, webinars, and conferences remain valuable channels for distributing this information and helping ECCs stay informed.

PREPARING FOR WHAT COMES NEXT

Threats to 9-1-1 systems are evolving, and defenses must evolve with them. While technology continues to advance, effective response is still grounded in human expertise, organizational trust, and continuous learning.

For ECC managers, the path forward is clear: involve people early; train consistently; use technology thoughtfully; maintain human oversight; and foster collaboration across agencies and jurisdictions.

D. Jeremy DeMar, MA, CPE, ENP, is the Senior Manager – Government and Regulatory Affairs at Intrado, responsible for shaping and advocating for policies that support the 9-1-1 and emergency communications community. Collaborating closely with government agencies, legislators, and industry stakeholders, DeMar helps ensure emergency communications systems are effective and reliable.