BLOG CATEGORIES
Breaking Language Barriers During an Emergency Call
Being in emergency response, we have to be there for everyone who needs us, but factoring in multiculturalism and the many different languages that come with it, this can be difficult for many monitoring companies. Here’s how we do it differently.
Hola. Bonjour. Hallo. Salaam. Konnichiwa. Hello.
All over the United States there are people with different cultures, backgrounds and ethnicities. We are a country rich in diversity. The languages we speak play an important role in what makes us unique.
According to Wikipedia, there are about 430 different languages spoken in the U.S. alone. The top five languages in order after English and Spanish are Chinese, Tagalog, Vietnamese, Arabic, and French. These are just a few of the thirty-two languages listed as most prevalent. The Migration Policy Institute reports that roughly twenty-two percent of the population over five years of age speak a language other than English in their home. In some cases, this is due to a lack of fluency. In other cases, it is because English is not known at all.
The top states for linguistic diversity are California, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, New York, New Jersey, and Florida. Each of these states are prone to various natural disasters, such as earthquakes, thunderstorms, flash floods, droughts, tornados, or hurricanes. While the United States does not legally have an official language, the de facto language is English. With such diversity in the population and with so many potentially hazardous scenarios, natural or otherwise, it stands to reason that we should be concerned with whether or not our infrastructure and institutions are prepared to accommodate multiple languages. This is especially true regarding emergency situations.
Find out how to improve safety and reduce costs at your property
Our best-in-class emergency phone + monitoring solutions provide peace of mind and are backed by decades of expertise
Learn More
2022 ELLIES WINNER
Best Supplier -
Communication System
Find out how to improve safety and reduce costs at your property
Our best-in-class emergency phone + monitoring solutions provide peace of mind and are backed by decades of expertise
Learn More2022 ELLIES WINNER
Best Supplier -
Communication System
The advancement of language translation methods
Language translation has come a long way over the years. To advance beyond needing another human that could speak both languages spoken by the two parties involved in order to bridge the gap, society developed books to take out the middleman. There were full-size, comprehensive books to teach us another language, but then there were also handy little travel companions to help us get by with the basic, essential words of a foreign language on the spot.
After books came computer programs that could help us translate text between different languages. As computer technology became both smaller and more powerful, a computerized solution became more manageable and convenient to use.
These days, there are even apps on our cellular smartphones that do much of the work for us. Google Translate, for example, has become increasingly accurate and can translate over one-hundred different languages. Still, the question remains whether these technological tools can effectively replace a human being that is fluent with the context, structure and nuances between different languages. According to computer science professor Alexander Waibel of Carnegie Mellon University’s Language Technologies Institute, while we very well might see computer translation that reaches or exceeds the human level in our lifetime, that is not the case today.
FREE GUIDE: Building Your Emergency Action Plan >>
The most accurate translation solution
So, what then is the solution for agencies that must be able to understand and communicate effectively with virtually anyone who calls in during a time of crisis? Surely it would be unfeasible to staff a representative of every language spoken in the United States. For many emergency monitoring companies, this is the case. Yet, if human translation is still the most accurate then it must be the means used by emergency services. Thankfully, in Kings III’s case, we do have access to translations for our emergency calls. The solution is a third-party company that provides round-the-clock access to human translators. These companies employ speakers of English and one or more of the other languages most often used in the U.S.
With our service at your property, not only are you getting a full turnkey solution for emergency elevator, pool, stairwell, parking area and area of refuge phones, you get access to the highest caliber of operators as well. Our equipment is designed, assembled, installed, maintained and monitored by us, and our operators are AEMD certified, which is more than many of the nation’s 9-1-1 dispatch centers offer.
No matter what the language of the caller is, our emergency operators are ready to handle the call twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. If and when a language barrier arises, the operator will break that barrier by contacting and conferencing in an interpreter (click here for a brief video example of an actual call that required translation services). We are able to accommodate upwards of 175 different languages. Whether the caller is trapped in an elevator, the victim of an assault or in need of emergency medical attention, the most appropriate help will be dispatched as quickly as possible.
Kings III considers the needs of all
In a nation so rich in diversity, it is good to know there are solutions to make sure that everyone can have access to the help they need, when they need it. Kings III always has and always will keep customer service at the forefront. It is our pleasure to provide your property with versatility that you can count on. No matter what language your tenants speak, we are ready to take the call and break the barrier.
We can even program the automated recording that plays from the emergency phone system upon activation to be bilingual, repeating the message in both Spanish and English. If your property is predominantly Spanish speaking and our systems are in place, call our service department at 800-766-2029 or click here and let us know. We can reprogram the device remotely to activate this feature.
If Kings III emergency phone systems are not currently in place at your property, contact us today to find out more about the peace of mind we can offer at your location.
CATEGORIES TAGGED
ELEVATORS
PROPERTY SAFETY
CATEGORIES
KEEP LEARNING
Winter-Proof Your Elevators
When elevators break down or work improperly, especially during inclement weather, we are reminded of their vital importance. Pay attention to the following items, especially in winter weather, to help keep your elevators running safely and smoothly.
Kings III Makes The Dallas Morning News Top 100 Places to Work List Becoming a 3x Winner
We're honored to be recognized by our employees and The Dallas Morning News by making the daily newspaper’s Top 100 Places to Work list for the 3rd year in a row, falling in at 28th in the midsize companies category.
Best Practices for Using Video Surveillance on Your Property
Video surveillance is a common life safety tool for property managers. In fact, the latest elevator safety codes show how it can even be an essential component of emergency response for those with a disability. Here are some best practices to keep in mind when adding video surveillance to your security mix.
Saving Labor and Service Costs During Inflation
We simply can’t ignore the elephant in the room: inflation is causing unprecedented rises in prices. Learn how turnkey solutions with maintenance included can be your saving grace as a property manager.
How Your Life Safety Devices are Impacted by Landline Technology Phaseout
In our space, there’s been a lot of chatter about FCC Order 10-72a1 and how it is impacting copper/analog/plain old telephone service (POTS) phone lines. With this comes deteriorating service and significantly higher phone line costs. Learn your best options for addressing this with your emergency phones.
May is Building Safety Month
Building Safety Month is an international campaign celebrated in May to raise awareness about building safety. Learn more about what you can do to further the initiative here in this blog post.
What You Need to Know About IBC 2021 Elevator Phone Code Requirements
While it’s been over a year since IBC 2021 was released, many are still familiarizing themselves with the elevator phone code requirements and how to navigate them, as significant accessibility changes have been made. We’re here to help clear that up for you.
Property Safety for Deaf & Hard of Hearing Tenants
Although, of course, those with hearing loss or deafness can continue to live independent and productive lives, there are unique needs and accommodations associated with them, and it is in your best interest as a property manager to keep their safety in mind. Here are some considerations to make when helping to protect your deaf/hard-of-hearing tenants.
How To Deter Illegal Activity On Your Property
Here, we list the most common types of illegal activities that take place on multifamily residential properties and how you can sniff them out. Finally, we detail the steps you can take once you discover the illegal activity while reducing the chance of harm to you and other tenants.