CAMBRIDGE, MD - A new service is helping to eliminate language barriers during emergencies across Maryland's Eastern Shore. Local 911 call centers have implemented a service called Convey911, which connects operators and callers to an interpreter within seconds, regardless of the language spoken.
Inside the Dorchester County 911 call center, Sergeant Robert Larimer highlighted the significance of the service, noting that the region has a large population of Spanish and Creole speakers.
"Some of the Spanish-speaking do speak English as a second language, but in the time of crisis, it’s a second nature to them. They forget. They can't be proficient, which causes additional stress on the caller," said Larimer.
Dorchester County Sheriff James Phillips praised the new system for meeting the county's needs. "It's ideal, I mean, it's really done a lot for us. I think that's why the rest of the counties on the Eastern Shore opted to come into it," said Phillips. He added that the previous system was inadequate, often causing delays and interruptions. "You'd had to wait until an interpreter would pick the phone up and a lot of times the conversation would be interrupted in the middle of the conversation, and you'd lose it. Or you couldn't get somebody there in real time."
Jeff Bruns, CEO of Convey911, explained how the service works. "So they touch one button, they're connecting over the phone, and you're hearing an interpreter speak your language. And behind the scenes, the call takers are communicating with those interpreters using the technology to help expedite," said Bruns.
Bruns also noted the extensive network of the 12,000 interpreters available. "They cover about 110 languages on demand, and we're connecting in less than 10 seconds on average."
Matthew Peters, Executive Director of the Chesapeake Multicultural Resource Center, emphasized the safety benefits for non-English speakers. "Our clients that we work with are always going to appreciate when agencies do more than they're doing now to really kind of connect with them," said Peters.
Dorchester and other Eastern Shore counties, including Worcester, Talbot, and Caroline, have been using the system for almost two months. Bruns mentioned that several states across the U.S. are also utilizing Convey911.
