Minneapolis, Hennepin County dispatch centers introduce automated 911 callback technology

Leaders from Minneapolis and Hennepin County emergency communications and dispatch centers on Thursday introduced new technology to automatically call back canceled 911 calls.

The new Automatic Abandoned Call (AAC) system will be effective immediately. The software helps dispatch centers respond and dispatch resources quickly. It also reduces the time dispatchers spend manually calling back abandoned calls.

Again, those who answer the call will then have the option to continue requesting emergency assistance or indicate that immediate response is not required.

Law enforcement officials say aborted 911 calls are a growing problem for dispatch centers across the country. Most abandoned 911 calls are unintentional and result from cell searches, but it confirms that it is time and labor intensive.

For reference, the Minneapolis Emergency Communications Center received 50,000 calls last year and the caller hung up in less than 30 seconds.