Emergency call ring times to Hamilton County 911’s center lasted more than five times longer than usual the night of Chattanooga’s historic Aug. 12 floods, according to officials.
From 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., dispatchers answered hundreds of calls for help from trapped families and stranded drivers. Not a single 911 call went unanswered, Executive Director Jeff Carney said by phone, but the surge stretched the center beyond normal limits. While an artificial intelligence operator helped mitigate the surge, Carney said, no agency can properly prepare for a disaster like Aug. 12.
In the 6 p.m. hour, the 911 center fielded 163 emergency calls, about triple the usual volume, and answered them all within 48 seconds. By 7 p.m., the load swelled to 230 calls, nearly five times normal, Carney said. Ninety-seven percent were answered within 48 seconds, and 100% within 60 seconds. Typically, 97% of 911 calls are answered in under nine seconds, he said…