New AI Technology to Help Save Lives on non-English 911 Calls
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By Mel Bearns
Artificial Intelligence (AI) continues to break new ground with new applications across a wide spectrum of services. This article looks into how a new two-way audio translation technology being launched by Prepared is set to revolutionize EMS communications.
Breaking Down Communication Barriers
One of the biggest issues that 911 call centers face is when non-native speakers call in an emergency, requiring the assistance of a third party translation service that adds additional layers of complication and significant delays in how quickly a situation can be assessed and what level of assistance is required. Currently a 911 call-taker receiving a call from a non-English speaker will have to conference in a third-party translator and wait for them to join the call, wasting precious time during an emergency.
Just this month, Prepared announced the upcoming launch of an AI-driven two-way simultaneous audio translation and transcription service for 911 calls. Designed to enable faster and more effective dialogue and responses for non-English speakers, Prepared 911 will allow dispatchers to automatically translate incoming calls in Spanish into English, and then translate the dispatcher’s replies into Spanish. And if that wasn’t remarkable enough, with this new two-way audio translation technology, all of the 5,700 Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs) that manage incoming 911 calls across the nation will be able to integrate and use this technology without having to change their call-handling systems.
It is estimated that between 350 and 430 languages are spoken in the U.S., easily making it one of the most linguistically diverse countries in the world. Data shows that 78 percent of the population speaks English and 13 percent speak Spanish, which is why Prepared opted to start with Spanish and then add more languages after the initial rollout.
According to Anthony Mignogna, Chief of Communications at Delaware County Emergency Services in Philadelphia, approximately half of non-English-speaking 911 callers hang up due to confusion. “When we get calls from non-English speakers it becomes a game of phone tag with a language translation service that can take up to five minutes,” Chief Mignogna said. “Once we’re up and running with the new two-way audio translation technology from Prepared, we will be able to reduce the hang ups and send people the help they need much more quickly.”
Transforming Emergency Response to Make Communities Safer
Prepared envisioned their new two-way translation bot to act like a live interpreter, reducing the friction experienced by call takers when dealing with a non-English emergency call. This new AI-driven technology will benefit call centers instantly as it will integrate seamlessly with their existing call-handling systems.
The new Prepared 911 technology will also allow 911 call-takers to gain full visibility and situational clarity about what the callers are saying, facilitating a rapid and effective response and eliminating the frustration and delays presented by the existing interpreter-based system.
AI innovations like this new instantaneous translation and communication platform created by Prepared are effectively transforming the emergency response landscape. By empowering call takers to be able to discern the scope of the emergency and provide real-time assistance, non-English speakers will be able to avail themselves of life-saving services, and emergency call-takers will be able to provide greater safety and equitable access to diverse communities across the country.