Jefferson County commissioners on Aug. 7 authorized county dispatch leadership to proceed with a subscription and pilot of an AI-assisted quality-assurance and training product called Comms Coach.

Brandon, a county dispatcher/telecommunications lead, described features of the product, saying it can grade "a 100% of eligible calls within 15 minutes" and provide more consistent, quicker feedback than manual sampling. He said the tool also offers simulated calls for training on low-frequency, high-risk events. "With Comms Coach, it can grade a 100% of eligible calls within 15 minutes," Brandon said during his presentation.

Commissioners discussed training benefits and costs. A commissioner recited the subscription figures presented at the meeting: "for the remainder of the year, so 4 months, $3,126, but then and then next year for the whole year, 12 5." Staff said the product vendor offered a discounted introductory price for the remainder of the fiscal year.

A motion was made and seconded to authorize Brandon to sign up for the Comms Coach subscription; the board approved the motion by voice vote. Staff said budgeted funds were available for the remainder of the year and that the county planned to accommodate next year's subscription cost in the budget process if continued.

Next steps: Dispatch staff will finalize contract terms with the vendor, implement the pilot, and provide results to the board. Commissioners and staff noted the tool's potential to speed QA review and to expand training opportunities for dispatchers without adding large staff overhead.