Mobile language interpretation device helps paramedics save lives
It’s a new language interpreting tool that could potentially save hundreds of lives.
The device has only been in service since last month and already the Grand Island Fire Department has put it to good use.
"It's called ELSA, which stands for Enabling Language Services Anywhere," EMS Chief Russ Blackburn explains.
ELSA allows police, first responders and medical personnel to interpret a medical condition from a non-English speaking person.
"I was really surprised when I started researching the number of languages that are spoken in Grand Island," Blackburn said.
There are more than 30 languages spoken in Grand Island public schools, but this new device can translate more than 180 languages.
“Typically when we get on scene we need to find out a lot of information quickly. You want to be quick and efficient with the care you are providing," said Jared Stockwell, a Grand Island firefighter and paramedic.
"Not being able to speak or really understand, it's frustrating for the patient, but it's also frustrating for us as well," Stockwell said.
ELSA is made by Minnesota-based RTT Mobile and the devise enables a three-way phone call. It uses a cell phone signal and in about 30 seconds connects users with a live interpreter.
Roughly the size of an index card, with three buttons, built in microphones and a speaker, the device is simple to operate.
If a user hits the same button twice, an operator will ask what language is needed. In situations where the language is not clear, the operator can help determine that.
RTT Mobile began selling the language interpretation tool in December. Since then, officials in nearly every state have started using it.
"The majority, right now, of our devices are in the hands of law enforcement, first responders, and hospitals," said Linda Stanto, vice president of marketing and implementation for RTT Mobile.
Besides police and paramedics, Stanton said the company is seeing increased interest from county attorneys, school districts and the military.
"It was built to be rugged and to be used in those environments that law enforcement and first responders would be in," she said. "And of course, those are elements where the need for the interpretation to be correct and immediate were so critical."
Although the ELSA device is remarkably low tech, it provides a service that is in high demand: live, instant, accurate language translation that law enforcement and others say is critical in high-stress situations.
For further information on the Enabling Language Services Anywhere device, please visit the RTT Mobile website.
Language Translation, Inc., offers SpeakEasy, our over the phone interpreting service 7/24/365 in more than 240 languages. The service works with landlines and cell phones and does not require proprietary equipment. Medical care providers, government agencies, institutions and businesses use it daily.
By Alex Dupont
Marketing Communications Specialist
See Also
- Language Interpreting is the process of translating spoken words from one language into another.
ELSA is a hands free, on demand, mobile live interpretation service that provides immediate communication in 180 languages. - Interpreting Tool Helps Bridge Language Barrier for Paramedics
The Grand Island Fire Department is the first in the state to invest in a language interpreting tool.