You might already know that if you’re in a jam and you can’t call 911, you can text. Now that works, even if you don’t speak or text English. The Indiana Statewide 911 Board announced Wednesday that the service has been upgraded to include translation for over 100 languages.
“Text-to-911 enables direct access to emergency services for those who are deaf or speaking-impaired, having a medical emergency that prevents them from being able to speak, or in a situation where making a voice call would put them in danger,” said Indiana Treasurer Mitchell, chair of the Statewide 911 Board, in a news conference Wednesday.
“We’ve already seen the benefits of texting to 911. It allows people in sensitive situations to communicate with law enforcement, and now we are removing the language barriers to those services.”
Three years ago dispatchers across the state began using a voice translation system for people who don’t speak English. Nine in ten of those calls involve people who speak Spanish. The counties that use it the most are Marion, Allen, Elkhart, White and Tippecanoe.
The new system will allow non-English speaking people who cannot call 911 to communicate effectively with dispatchers all over the state.
“With technology constantly evolving, this upgrade shows why Indiana is on the forefront in providing 911 services to our non-English speaking citizens,” said Ed Reuter, Executive Director of the Statewide 911 Board. “This new translation upgrade will help bridge the communication gap and speed up sending emergency services when every second counts.”
“Our company works to improve 911 service every day,” said Mark Grady, CEO of INdigital. “Strong state programs like Indiana lead the nation with good legislation, targeted funding, and letting us build better systems. Our goal is for everyone to have access to 911 when they need it most. Bridging language barriers and providing more ways to communicate are essential in today’s world.”
No comments:
Post a Comment