Law enforcement agencies across the U.S. are grappling with unprecedented challenges. A staggering 87% of police departments are operating below their authorized staffing levels, while 911 operators are handling a record 240 million emergency calls annually. This translates to over 600,000 calls a day, with response times increasing and putting communities at greater risk during critical situations. The national average response time for 911 calls currently stands at 10 minutes, with delays even longer in major cities.

Earlier this year, we met Divy Shrivastava and were inspired by his vision of leveraging artificial intelligence to make cities safer. Paladin’s origins date back to 2016. Just before starting his engineering studies at Berkeley, a close friend's house was tragically destroyed in a fire, deeply impacting his community. Conversations with the local fire chief revealed two key challenges: fires grow exponentially, doubling in size every 30 seconds, and first responders often lack critical information when they arrive, as 911 callers are typically unable to assess the situation accurately.