Sumter County has entered into an agreement with the firm, Convey911, which provides a real-time language translation system for more than 125 different languages for our 911, 311, 988 and Mobile Integrated Health Services.
With this service, Sumter County’s emergency communications center can communicate verbally or by text with any non-English speaking person needing assistance.
Citizens expect an immediate response when calling or texting 911 and expect to confirm or provide additional information to the emergency operator.
Convey911 provides the needed real-time language translation through SMS and MMS. The program also provides video and location services through the same methods.
This system identifies the caller’s primary language as indicated by their mobile device. The system also allows emergency operators to initiate a text conversation in English, as it will translate the text into the native language of the citizen. When the citizen responds, their SMS converts from their native language back to English, creating an efficient and effective communication process.
Citizens do not need to download an app or go through a registration to send or receive messages.
