Summary:
A: Growing language diversity creates urgent communication gaps. Without clear understanding, responders risk delays in care and critical errors during life-threatening situations.
A: Firefighters use on-demand interpretation via phone or app to connect with trained interpreters in seconds, covering over 240 languages and 40 video options including ASL.
A: It ensures faster communication, accurate medical decisions, and safer outcomes for both responders and the public, turning language access into a seamless part of emergency care.
Firefighters Turn to 911 Interpretation to Overcome Language Barriers
A firetruck pulls up to the scene of a multi-car accident at a busy Knoxville intersection. Emergency responders rush to assess injuries and gather information, but one critical problem becomes immediately clear: none of the people involved in the crash speak English.
The stakes couldn't be higher. This isn't just about providing medical care. It's about asking the right questions and understanding the answers as quickly as possible to save lives.
What happens when firefighters rush to help, but the person in need doesn't speak English? This scenario confronts first responders in Knoxville and Knox County on a regular basis.
Using on-demand interpretation from LanguageLine, firefighters and dispatchers can connect to professional interpreters within seconds, regardless of the language spoken.
"English is not necessarily folks' primary language and we need to communicate with those folks," said Mark Wilbanks, Assistant Chief with the Knoxville Fire Department.
As Knoxville has grown, so has its diversity. Over time, Wilbanks and his team began noticing a wider range of languages spoken during emergency calls.
"From Swahili to Spanish... to Italian... there are different Asian dialects," he said.
Emergency calls involving non-English speakers have steadily increased throughout the years. While gestures and visual cues may help in some situations, they're often inadequate, especially when medical decisions must be made quickly.
"When everyone involved is a non-English speaker, that's a challenge," said Jeff Bagwell, with Rural Metro Fire, a neighboring agency.
Bagwell explained that just two of Rural Metro's 140 firefighters speak Spanish. Those individuals also serve as informal interpreters during calls.
Some teams have tried using translator apps to bridge the gap, but these tools consistently fall short in emergency situations. They're prone to errors and often fail completely when translating speech in urgent, noisy, or high-stress environments where precision is literally a matter of life and death.
To eliminate these dangerous communication barriers, the Knoxville Fire Department adopted a comprehensive on-demand public safety interpreting system from LanguageLine Solutions.
The service provides firefighters and dispatchers with 24/7 access to professional interpreters covering more than 240 languages. The LanguageLine app works seamlessly in the field and supports video interpretation in over 40 languages, including American Sign Language.
Fire trucks across the department now carry multilingual identification cards featuring dozens of global languages. When firefighters arrive at a scene and encounter a language barrier, they simply point to the appropriate language on the card, then place a call to connect with a trained interpreter within seconds.
"We can point to French and we can tell them that we can get them an interpretation service," Wilbanks said.
The workflow is both simple and lightning-fast, allowing first responders to gather vital information clearly and accurately without relying on guesswork, family member translations, or unreliable apps.
Since implementing LanguageLine, the Knoxville Fire Department has transformed 911 interpretation from a major obstacle into a seamless component of its emergency response strategy.
Responders are no longer delayed by language barriers or forced to rely on family members or mobile apps that could provide inaccurate translations in life-threatening situations. They now have immediate access to trained interpreters who specialize in public safety communication and understand the urgency of emergency response.
The results speak for themselves: clearer communication, faster response times, and dramatically improved safety outcomes for both patients and responders.
LanguageLine is proud to support fire departments, EMS, police, and public safety teams nationwide. Our 911 interpretation services deliver fast, professional language access precisely when and where it's needed most.
Contact us today to schedule a free consultation and learn how we can help your department overcome language barriers and save more lives.