JONESBORO, AR (KAIT) – A language barrier created confusion
this week when a man called 911 to report that his co-worker was trapped in a
trench.
Local emergency dispatchers, however, have become better
trained to field calls like this one from non-English speakers.
Jonesboro E911 has a number of resources available to help
its operators when someone calls them that speaks little to no English. These
tools have proven useful in situations, like the entrapment Monday, when
seconds count.
Emergency crews freed a Jonesboro man Monday after a trench
collapsed on him at a home construction site.
One of the man's co-workers that spoke limited English
initially called 911 to report what happened.
Region 8 News obtained the audio from the 911 call. The man
is heard having a difficult time conversing with the female dispatcher, who
mistakenly thought he was calling in a car accident.
The man did give directions to the scene, so the dispatcher
sent police officers and paramedics there.
"Once they arrived," Jeff Presley said, "the rescue informed
us that it was not a motor vehicle accident but a person stuck in a trench."
The rescue effort ended well, but Presley and his
dispatchers at Jonesboro E911 are still working to bridge a language gap.
"You can't prepare for every language," said Presley, the director
of Jonesboro E911. "You can't prepare for every scenario in 911, but with the
growing Hispanic population, we will be proactive in training dispatchers and
being able to communicate in time of emergency."
Presley says most of his dispatchers have learned to speak
some basic Spanish thanks to training they received from a U.S. Army program.
"We can get good information, and we can get somebody
started," he said.
An emergency guide to Spanish is never far from reach either
if the dispatchers ever do have any trouble translating a call.
Translators are also on standby from St. Bernards Medical
Center, Arkansas State University, Hispanic Community Services and Poinsett County
dispatch.
"We're prepared to handle those situations," Presley added.
If all else fails, dispatch can access a caller's Smart 911
profile set up online.
"They can load in information about themselves, their
family, their vehicles and things like that," Presley said. "If they're unable
to speak anything, we'll have that information to respond."
The City of Jonesboro has also hosted Spanish classes in the
past not only for its 911 operators but also for its police officers and
firefighters.
Presley says more classes should be held sometime soon so
that city employees can improve their Spanish-speaking skills.
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