The City of Downey recently announced it will begin using a service to help those with limited skills in English communicate more effectively with city workers.
The service, Language Line Insight, has interpreters available on demand, who interact with others via a video feed passed through a tablet computer. The service will be used at all Downey's facilities, and in the field, where people interact with safety personnel.
The service works by someone logging on to Language Line and requesting the services of an interpreter. The interpreter, the official, and the person who wants to be understood can all see each other via the tablet screen, as if the translator were on site. Flyer printing can be used to describe how systems like this work.
Rick Rodriguez, the mayor of Downey, said the technology will make it easy for staff to talk with all Downey's residents, which in turn should increase the public's engagement with city employees. His sentiments were echoed by Blanca Pacheco, the mayor pro tem, who said the service was a new, effective way to talk with residents. Pacheco added the service is particularly important in emergencies, when time is short and it may not be possible to find an interpreter, or write something down on paper.
The new technology has proven to be very effective in hospital emergency rooms, where a stressful situation can be compounded if everyone involved doesn't speak the same language.
