Operational Insights: AI Support in an Emergency Situation

Over the last two days, my department has been simulating an emergency scenario: an explosion with multiple casualties, the cause of which was unknown - no further information. The exercise tested a new management team structure, with redesigned communication channels and a mix of traditional and modern investigative methods.

My task was to provide a real-time overview of the situation. This was a new challenge for me, as I’d never handled this role before. Reviewing examples from past operations, it became clear that previous methods were outdated. In the fast-paced situation, i initially used PowerPoint for the presentation because it was done like that before. 🥴

However, I quickly realized that PowerPoint works well, but only if it’s prepped with the right icons and content for a standardized view of information. Additionally, presenting relevant information under pressure becomes a challenge for many officers because of a lack of handling training with the program.

Unfortunately, no other software was readily available, or they came with serious limitations.

The Solution:

In about an hour, I developed a small offline tool that streamlined the process. The tool allowed us to:

• Load offline map material (provided by our own state)

• Add entities with corresponding icons

• Insert text fields for situational updates

• Export real-time situation reports

The result was a solution that was ready to use in no time.

A Few Questions:

Was mission-related information shared with external tools?

• No, the information transmitted only related to the functionality needed for the tool.

Do we have high quality source code?

• No, but in emergency situations, the priority is always on delivering a working solution over code quality.

Were data protection standards maintained?

• Yes, strict measures were in place to ensure separation from the police IT infrastructure.

Key Takeaways:

• Speed is the key when dealing with time-sensitive tasks. (kind of obvious, right?😉) A functioning solution is often more important than perfection.

• Even in urgent situations, small improvements of workflows can make a big difference in efficiency.

• Working solutions are better than high quality code - get the job done!

My colleagues were very impressed with the outcome and the possibilities of AI. Auditing workflows and optimizing them becomes easier with an AI assistant. But you have to see what’s wrong to take initiative!