Seattle council probes nurse line and AI triage

Seattle City Council members are demanding clearer oversight of how emergency medical calls are handled, specifically regarding a nurse triage line and an artificial intelligence program. The inquiry follows concerns that the city has lost visibility into critical response times while relying on these automated and outsourced systems to manage demand.

Councilmember Bob Kettle, chair of the public safety committee, called for enhanced accountability from the department’s ambulance contractor. The core issue is that the city no longer tracks how long patients wait for ambulances ordered through this nurse line, creating a gap in data that prevents officials from verifying if residents are receiving timely care.

Loss of accountability in response times

In 2022, the Seattle Fire Department began transferring some 911 callers to a nurse line operated by American Medical Response, the city’s primary ambulance contractor. The goal was to reduce strain on emergency units by diverting patients with minor issues to virtual care or non-emergency transport. However, this shift came with a significant trade-off: the city removed the standard requirement for AMR to meet strict arrival time benchmarks for these specific calls.

This change means the city is no longer monitoring wait times for patients in this category. Critics point to the case of Pamela Hogan, a 71-year-old who waited over ten hours for an ambulance after being routed through the nurse line. Although the lawsuit was settled, the incident highlights the risk of removing oversight. Fire Chief Harold Scoggins noted that these calls are now considered lower-level emergencies, placing the burden of tracking on the contractor rather than the city.

Undisclosed AI usage in dispatch

Simultaneously, the Fire Department has used an AI program from a Danish company to listen to all 911 medical calls since 2023. The system provides live prompts to human dispatchers, suggesting when to transfer patients to the nurse line. While officials state the AI supports human decision-making, it was introduced without public review or disclosure to callers.

Experts and watchdog groups have raised concerns about the transparency and safety of using automated systems to determine emergency priorities. The lack of public scrutiny for over two years has fueled questions about whether the AI’s suggestions might inadvertently delay critical care. The council is now pushing for a review of how this technology integrates with human dispatchers and how its decisions are audited.

Council demands contractual clarity

The council is moving to negotiate stronger terms with the department’s contractors. Kettle emphasized that residents expect a clear promise of response and a defined timeline, regardless of whether the call is routed through a nurse line. The city seeks to ensure that accountability does not vanish the moment a call is classified as a lower-priority emergency.

Fire officials have agreed to explore negotiating a backstop that ensures service standards are met. According to reporting by GN technics/ai (en-US), the focus is now on defining what constitutes adequate oversight. The city aims to restore trust by ensuring that both the nurse line and the AI program operate within clear, enforceable limits that protect public safety.