Dispatch Center adds translation service

Nevada Daily Mail

The Western Missouri 911 Dispatch Center has found a way to help non-English speakers in emergency situations.

Next month, the dispatch center will begin using a translation service called Language Line to connect dispatchers and law enforcement officials with a third-party translator. The program is offered through AT&T and provides translation for more than 200 languages.

Dispatchers would be able to connect with the service and have an interpreter assist in gathering emergency information. Officers could connect with the service by cell phone while responding to a situation.

Tonia Davis, dispatch center director, said that the line would be used mostly for emergency situations because of the pay-per-use cost.

Because the state of Missouri already has a contract with Language Line, many of the initial set up and activation fees will be waived. Training materials for dispatchers and officers will be provided for free. The only cost the dispatch center would incur is for translation service, which is 98 cents per minute.

Davis said that there has not been an overwhelming demand for interpreters, but past situations have demonstrated a need. She said that a vehicle slide off several winters ago was difficult for emergency personnel to assist with because of a language barrier. Davis said a service like Language Line would have made it easier to send out help because translators are difficult to locate in time-sensitive situations.

"With our growing diverse population, the need for Language Line is definitely greater," Davis said.

Setup for Language Line takes nearly two weeks, and the dispatch center hopes to have it in place by mid February.