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Artificial intelligence is quickly moving from experimentation to implementation across the emergency services. But while the conversation often focuses on new AI tools, the bigger challenge for policing and fire and rescue services is adopting them securely, responsibly and in ways that deliver measurable operational value.
Working closely with Microsoft and public sector organisations across the UK, Phoenix Software is supporting emergency services as they build the foundations for successful AI adoption. Ahead of The Emergency Tech Show, we spoke to the team about where Microsoft Copilot is already making a difference, how organisations can prepare for AI, and why governance and security need to come before technology.
Where is AI making the biggest difference to reducing administrative burden for frontline teams?
The biggest opportunities are in the everyday administrative work that surrounds frontline operations rather than operational decision-making itself.
We’re seeing AI help teams summarise long email threads and lengthy reports in seconds, draft first versions of routine documents, catch up on activity after a rest day or night shift, and pull actions from meetings without someone having to write up notes manually.
These are tasks that happen every day across every emergency service, and they consume valuable time without directly contributing to frontline response. By reducing that administrative friction, AI gives people more time to focus on the work that matters.
The key is avoiding the ‘complexity trap’. AI becomes another burden if it introduces a new platform or another system to learn. The greatest value comes when AI is embedded into the Microsoft tools people already use every day, including Teams, Outlook and Word. Starting with low-risk, high-frequency tasks helps organisations demonstrate value quickly before expanding AI into more operational workflows.
What are the most practical Microsoft Copilot use cases you’re seeing across policing and fire and rescue services?
The most immediate use cases are often the least glamorous, but they’re also the ones delivering value first.
Across policing and fire and rescue services, we’re seeing organisations use Microsoft Copilot to summarise reports and email conversations, draft correspondence, create meeting recaps with actions, help staff catch up after shifts, and answer questions from policies and procedures without searching through multiple documents. Because these are everyday tasks that sit within existing Microsoft applications, they provide a natural starting point for AI adoption.
We’re also seeing growing interest in AI agents that support more structured business processes. A good example is case and report drafting, where teams repeatedly create documents using information that already exists across multiple systems. An AI agent can gather that source material and produce a structured first draft that follows organisational templates and house style, allowing staff to review and refine rather than start from scratch.
Looking ahead, the next frontier is connecting AI to operational systems, including records management, case management and incident platforms. That allows users to ask questions and receive answers grounded in authorised operational data rather than navigating multiple systems.
Other emerging applications include intelligence and incident summarisation, turning large volumes of unstructured information into consistent outputs, and first-pass triage of inbound requests, helping route routine work while ensuring operational decisions remain with people.
What foundations do emergency services need in place before adopting AI?
Buying the licence is the easy part. The foundations matter far more than the tool itself. The first priority is data and permissions. Microsoft Copilot only surfaces information that users already have permission to access, so organisations need to review permissions and reduce unnecessary data sharing before introducing AI.
The second is governance and policy. Emergency services need clear guidance on acceptable AI use, what information can be included in prompts, and which systems AI agents are allowed to interact with.
The third is technical readiness, including identity management, licensing and ensuring the Microsoft environment is configured correctly.
Finally, organisations need real use cases linked to genuine operational challenges rather than introducing AI without a clearly defined purpose. Leadership sponsorship and a network of AI champions are equally important. Adoption doesn’t happen because IT switches something on. It happens because people understand how AI will help them in their day-to-day role and have trusted colleagues showing them what’s possible.
How can blue light organisations embrace AI while maintaining security and governance?
A security-first approach is essential, with governance built into AI adoption from the outset. AI doesn’t fundamentally create new security risks, but it can amplify existing ones by making information easier to discover. That’s why reviewing identity and access management is such an important first step, ensuring AI only surfaces information users are already authorised to see.
Starting with lower-risk use cases, such as report summarisation, meeting transcription and document drafting, allows organisations to build confidence while maintaining strong control over sensitive operational data.
Strong security controls, including access management, auditing, data loss prevention, encryption and continuous monitoring, help protect sensitive information while supporting AI adoption. Capabilities available through Microsoft E5 licensing provide organisations with the tools to strengthen that security foundation.
Alongside the technology, clear governance policies and user training help ensure staff understand how to use AI safely, responsibly and in line with organisational requirements. Security and compliance should be part of the AI journey from day one, not an afterthought.
How should emergency services measure the success of an AI strategy?
Success should be defined before deployment begins, with a baseline established so organisations can measure genuine improvements over time. We think about success in three layers.
The first is adoption – are people using AI, and how regularly? That’s the starting point, not the finish line.
The second is value – how much time is AI returning, and what are people able to do with that time? Saving an hour on administration only matters if that hour goes back into higher-value work.
The third is operational outcomes – is AI improving measurable processes? That could mean reducing turnaround times, cutting hours spent on administrative tasks, or improving the quality and consistency of documentation.
It’s also important to avoid vanity metrics. Prompt volumes might show engagement, but they don’t necessarily demonstrate impact. The focus should always be on measurable improvements to frontline work and operational performance.
What AI trends will have the biggest impact on emergency services over the next three to five years?
We expect AI agents to become a normal part of everyday work, moving beyond chat-based assistants to completing defined tasks within agreed rules and workflows. That’s where we see the biggest opportunity to save time across administrative and operational support functions.
Voice-enabled and mobile AI will also become increasingly important because most frontline personnel aren’t sitting behind desks. Hands-free, mobile-first experiences will make AI much more accessible in operational environments.
At the same time, advances in AI reasoning capabilities will continue to improve the quality of drafting, summarisation and analysis, helping users place greater trust in AI-generated outputs.
The pace of change is both the opportunity and the challenge. The organisations that will benefit most won’t necessarily be the ones chasing every new AI capability. They’ll be the ones that invest now in strong data governance, security foundations and workforce skills, creating an environment where new AI technologies can be adopted safely, confidently and at pace.
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Meet Phoenix Software at the Microsoft Partner Pavilion throughout The Emergency Tech Show on 16-17 September at NEC, Birmingham. Register for your free ticket here.
