National Preparedness Month: Why Your Communication Strategy Needs an UpgradeWelcome back to The Communication Connection! We've been thinking about how emergency services can get ready for disasters and unexpected events this month. Most PSAPs are well-prepared for equipment failures and staff shortages. But there's one critical problem that often goes unnoticed: what happens to language interpretation services when everything goes wrong? Throughout September, we've been exploring why communication preparedness needs more than just backup generators. It demands new solutions built specifically for real emergencies. FEATURE UPDATE: ConveyConnect+ Preparedness ModeBuilt for When Everything Goes Wrong ConveyConnect+ early access continues with great response from emergency services organizations. We're excited to highlight the preparedness features that set our hybrid AI interpretation service apart from traditional language lines. ConveyConnect+ Preparedness Features:
Early Access Development: ConveyConnect+ has been designed and engineered specifically to address the scalability challenges that affect traditional language interpretation services during emergency periods. The system architecture is built to maintain consistent performance even when demand increases dramatically. Early Access Update: We've expanded early access to 150 organizations due to strong interest. Spots remain limited. Organizations joining early access get priority onboarding, full training, and permanent access to premium features that will become paid add-ons after full launch. Secure your ConveyConnect+ early access spot:
INDUSTRY INSIGHT: Language Barriers in Emergency ResponseAs National Preparedness Month concludes, it's worth looking at how language barriers affect emergency response. Recent research reveals significant challenges that deserve attention. 68 million Americans speak languages other than English at home, yet current emergency communication systems often struggle to serve these populations effectively. A Mount Sinai Hospital study of over 41,000 patients found that people with limited English proficiency had 24% higher odds of emergency department revisits within 72 hours. The study also found professional interpreters were used in only 13% of non-English emergency calls, despite federal requirements. Source During major disasters, these challenges become more severe. Hurricane Harvey in 2017 generated 11,860 interpretation calls in Texas alone, while Hurricane Irma produced 29,238 interpretation calls in Florida. These massive spikes in demand can overwhelm traditional language interpretation services exactly when communication is most critical. Source A Government Technology survey found that over 75% of emergency communication centers lack budgets to expand their multilingual capabilities. Meanwhile, the FCC approved 13-language capability for emergency alerts in 2023, but most systems still only send alerts in English and Spanish, leaving millions of Americans without access to potentially life-saving emergency information in languages they understand. Source University of Washington research with 150 emergency telecommunicators found that 70% encounter limited English proficiency callers almost daily, and 78% report that communication difficulties affect the quality of medical care provided. Source These challenges show why emergency communication preparedness must include strong, scalable language interpretation infrastructure designed specifically for emergency conditions, not just routine call volumes. CLIENT FEEDBACK: Siloam Springs Implementation SuccessWe're pleased to share feedback from Brianna Valentine at Siloam Springs, Arkansas. She worked with our team during their recent ConveyCommunicator onboarding process. "Thank you so much for the feedback. We have been loving it so far." This positive response shows our commitment to providing advanced language interpretation technology and comprehensive support throughout the implementation process. As we continue developing ConveyConnect+, feedback like this from our current ConveyCommunicator users helps guide our development priorities. It ensures we're building solutions that truly meet the needs of emergency services professionals. Curious about how ConveyConnect+ can work for you? Sign up for to join a trial group
YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWEREDQ: How does ConveyConnect+ maintain service quality during high-demand emergency periods? A: ConveyConnect+ uses smart load balancing across multiple interpreter networks combined with AI backup. When human interpreter wait times exceed 30 seconds, AI translation automatically starts while continuing to queue for human interpreters. This hybrid approach ensures continuous communication while keeping the option for human help when available. Q: What happens if our internet connection goes down during an emergency? A: ConveyConnect+ includes offline-ready AI translation that keeps working during network problems. Core translation functions for the 25 most common languages in your service area are stored locally. Full sync and transcript upload happens when connectivity returns. This ensures language access even during infrastructure failures. Q: Can ConveyConnect+ work with our existing emergency management systems? A: Yes. ConveyConnect+ provides real-time integration with major emergency management platforms. Interpretation usage data flows into your existing situational awareness dashboards. This gives emergency managers visibility into communication resource use across the entire response area. Q: How do field responders access ConveyConnect+ during large emergencies when they're away from radio dispatch? A: The ConveyConnect+ mobile app works independently. Field personnel can start interpretation sessions directly from their devices. During mass casualty or disaster response, this reduces communication bottlenecks at the PSAP. It ensures first responders keep language access capabilities wherever they're deployed. Have more questions about emergency preparedness with ConveyConnect+? Reply to this email or visit our comprehensive FAQ! UPCOMING EVENTSTENA 911 Conference | Oct 2025 | Murfreesboro, TN - TODAY! Visit us in Booth 44 The Tennessee Emergency Number Association hosts their annual conference with educational sessions and networking for 911 professionals. This year marks TENA's 40th anniversary of serving Tennessee's 911 partners. Registration includes educational sessions, exhibit hall, awards gala, and networking events. APCO AI Summit | October 7-8, 2025 | Orlando, FL APCO's AI Summit explores how artificial intelligence is changing emergency communications. Sessions cover real-world AI use, early adopter stories, and practical applications like natural language processing. Essential for organizations exploring AI in emergency response. ON THE BLOGWhy Language Lines Fail in 911 Emergencies September is National Preparedness Month, but are your language services prepared for a real emergency? Our analysis shows how pin-based systems, interpreter availability limits, and single points of failure create problems exactly when communication is most critical. Learn why next-generation solutions eliminate these preparedness gaps. AI + Human Interpreters: The Future of 911 Communication Preparedness means having backup plans. What's your backup when your backup language interpreter isn't available? Explore real-world emergency scenarios where AI-only solutions fail, human-only systems get overwhelmed, but hybrid technology succeeds. Discover why ConveyConnect+ was designed around this hybrid approach. Explore hybrid technology benefits: 911 Preparedness Checklist: 10 Questions for PSAPs As National Preparedness Month concludes, it's the perfect time to assess your language access capabilities. Our comprehensive checklist shows gaps in current systems and how next-generation solutions address preparedness requirements. Use this assessment to evaluate your organization's communication readiness. Take the preparedness assessment: Follow us on LinkedIn for more updates and insights: Connect with our CEO Jeff Bruns for his thoughts on emergency communications technology: Thank you for being part of our mission to eliminate language barriers in emergency response; especially during the critical moments when preparedness matters most. As we conclude National Preparedness Month, we remain committed to helping emergency services organizations strengthen their communication infrastructure for whatever challenges lie ahead. — The Convey911 Team |
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