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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Hilary K. Wall, MPH¹, H. June Dagher, MPH¹, Kathleen M. Foell, RD MS LD¹, James Lake², and Cynthia L. Boddie-Willis, MD, MPH¹. (1) Division of Health Promotion Disease Prevention, Massachusetts Department of Public Health, 250 Washington Street, Fourth Floor, Boston, MA 02108, 617-624-5411, hilary.wall@state.ma.us, (2) Massachusetts Statewide Emergency Telecommunications Board, 1380 Bay Street, Taunton, MA 02780

Background – According to the 2000 US Census, 7.7% of the population speaks English “less than very well” in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts with that percent increasing to as high as 31.1% in some communities. The number of Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs) that provide telephonic interpreter services for non-English speaking 9-1-1 callers is not routinely monitored. Valuable resources may be wasted and lives may be lost due to inefficiency in responding to emergencies involving non-English speakers. Objective – To assess the status of telephonic interpreter service provision and examine the perceived need for this service by PSAPs in Massachusetts. Methods – In conjunction with the Statewide Emergency Telecommunications Board (SETB), the Massachusetts Department of Public Health Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention and Control Program administered a survey to all PSAPs in the Commonwealth. The survey was included in a monthly SETB newsletter. A reminder was sent out two months after the initial mailing and specific communities with large numbers of non-English speakers were surveyed directly via telephone by SETB staff. Results – 120 of 268 (44.8%) PSAPs were included in the analysis. Because Massachusetts has several regional PSAPs, 163 of 351 (46.4%) cities and towns were represented. 38.3% of responders utilize telephonic interpreter services for 9-1-1 calls. Of those PSAPs that do not provide telephonic interpreter services, 18.9% had bilingual dispatchers and 55.4% had managers who felt that their catchment area needed such services. Conclusion – The provision of telephonic interpreter services by Massachusetts PSAPs for non-English speakers who call 9-1-1 is not adequate.

Learning Objectives:

• Discuss the need for telephonic interpreter service provision in Massachusetts Public Safety Answering Points for non-English speakers who call 9-1-1
• Describe the procedure for assessing telephonic interpreter service provision in Massachusetts Public Safety Answering Points
• Articulate the current status of telephonic interpreter service provision in Massachusetts Public Safety Answering Points

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Not Answered